Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
1Th. 5:9 For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)
1Th. 5:10 Who died for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead [at Christ’s appearing], we might live together with Him and share His life.
John 14:3 And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.
These are verses all about “presence”. God is a God of relationship. He has for all of eternity lived in the relationship of the Trinity. It is so easy to think of our Perfect, Holy God as an austere isolationist, because we often think of the holiest humans as those who live a sort of austere life, set apart from a fallen world. Therefore we think that is what Holy looks like, and God must be that way, too.
The truth is, God is the most social being in existence, and He loves your presence, and loves to share His presence with you. Created in His image, we were created for His presence. Deut. 7 says that we are His Special Treasure, set apart for His presence and pleasure. Song of Solomon tells us that our presence is His greatest joy, and that our presence is so “Home” to Him. S.S. 2:14 says our face (presence) is lovely to Him. The word “lovely” there is the word “home” in Hebrew. He loves you and He likes being with you. Psalm 16 verse reminds us that It His presence that is the source of full joy, and that His presence is our greatest pleasure.
If joy and pleasure are important to you, it’s not because you are evil, it’s because you we’re created with the capacity for and the desire for joy and pleasure, because you we’re created for Him. He created you to love joy and pleasure so that you would be able to enjoy Him.
Are there counterfeit sources of joy and pleasure in this fallen world? Yes; but those things don’t last, and don’t have fullness (they leave you empty). Make His presence the priority, passion, and purpose of your life. He, at the Cross, made it clears that obtaining your presence is His great, passion and priority.