What do you do when the things that give you joy are taken from you?
This was David. Near the end of his life, his son Absalom rebels against him. He tries to kill his father and become king. So David is on the run. It’s during this time that he writes Psalm 4. Even with everything he’s going through, David concludes his psalm with this prayer.
…Let the light of your face shine on us.
Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. (Psalm 4:6-7)
David has lost everything – his job, his family, his friends, his money, and his influence. And yet there’s one thing he still has… his joy.
How is this possible? It’s because this isn’t a joy that we find in other things. It’s a deeper joy. Other translators say it’s more joy than his enemies have in all their grain and wine.
So where does David find this deeper joy? In God’s presence. This joy comes not from the gifts, but from the Giver himself.
