If you put yourself in the right place, good things will happen. It’s a principle that I’ve been taught all my life in athletics by coaches in baseball, basketball, and football. I remember my PeeWee football coach, Otis McGee, telling me to “stay at home” because I would often wander out of position because of the trickery of the other teams’ play. I remember my high school basketball coach yelling at us to “move without the ball” and get in position so we could get the pass and score as the play unfolded. And I remember Coach Phil Williamson telling me to back up third base or home plate as a LaGrange College pitcher who was pretty good at giving up a lot of runs. Mine was a short but fun career, but I digress.
I was reminded of the principle recently in my study on Andrew the Disciple. Andrew put himself in the right place and received the blessing of it. He was a seeker and attached himself first to John the Baptist. As a result, when Jesus came along and John called Him the Lamb of God, Andrew went with Jesus. When Jesus turned and said to him, “What are you seeking?” Andrew replied in a sense, “YOU.” And He followed Jesus from that point on in his life. Andrew made a habit of seeking the Lord. He put himself in the right places to encounter the Messiah and then he obediently followed Jesus. I was reminded, once again, of the necessity to seek the Lord through His Word, prayer, and worship so that I can put myself in the place to hear from Him, experience His life-giving presence, and ultimately follow Him in my life. Psalm 16:11 says,
“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
I love that verse! Like other verses that I have memorized over the years, it has been a faithful companion to remind me to keep seeking, to keep praying, and to keep worshipping! Look at the benefits in that verse:
First, the path of life will be made known to you. How often do you wonder about the direction and trajectory of your life? The answers you are seeking are found as you draw near to Him.
Second, there is fullness of joy. Ultimately, in Heaven, believers will experience all the joy possible. But even while here in this broken world, even when things are not going our way and we aren’t necessarily “happy,” we can have JOY because of the presence of Christ in our life.
Last, at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. This is another reference to our ultimate home in Heaven, but also a reminder that when we live in God’s presence and under His authority, we have everything we need. Even death posed no threat to King David, because he enjoyed great blessing and fellowship with the Lord
My encouragement for you this month is to put yourself in the presence of God as often as possible! Saturate your mind with His Word. “Be still” in His presence and enjoy fellowship with Him through prayer. Run to worship Him together with God’s people. Lift your voice and sing His praises!
By doing so, you’ll be ready to hear Him, obey Him, and enjoy Him forevermore!
You are loved!