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"You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).
Perhaps you've heard the statement, "If you feel far from God, guess who moved." If you guessed "God," reconsider. Feelings are part of God's creation. However, due to our sinful, fallen nature, feelings are not entirely trustworthy. Perhaps better stated, "If you realize that you have become distanced from God, guess who moved."
What is it about God that He is not the one who moved? It is His unchangeable nature: "I, the Lord, do not change" (Malachi 3:6a). It is His faithfulness toward His children: "For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 100:5). How do we know this? His Word proclaims it. His Word is trustworthy. His Word is performative; it has the power to accomplish whatever He says.
What would cause us to move away from God? Certainly, the "unholy three" — the devil, the world, and our sinful nature. They work in concert to draw us from Him — often little by little. Their end is our temporal and eternal destruction. But thanks be to God! Through the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, our spiritual enemies have been defeated. Through the good agency of God's holy Law and Gospel, the Spirit awakens in us this realization. We cry out with the psalmist, "Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge. I say to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; I have no good apart from You' " (Psalm 16:1-2).
Through Holy Baptism God has given us saving faith, making us His children. "The lines have fallen for [us] in pleasant places; indeed, [we] have a beautiful inheritance" (Psalm 16:6). That inheritance is already ours. Our sanctified nature longs to be in the presence of God. In the divine service, His Holy Word is proclaimed, and His blessed sacraments are made available to us for the strengthening and sustaining of our faith. In response we offer Him our prayers and praise. Forgiven and refreshed, we depart from worship to serve our neighbor in our various vocations.
These "pleasant places" and the "beautiful inheritance" are not earthbound. They flow into eternal life. With King David we confess, "You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).
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