The Realizations of True Happiness — Psalm 16

Introduction

(Show Township on Slide) During my first visit to Africa, we preached for five nights in one of the townships in South Africa. The townships were the result of segregated apartheid government of old South Africa, and the living conditions are deplorable. People are walking over broken sewage pipes. Children are playing by heaps of garbage. HIV and typhus are rampant. It is common for a multi-generational family of a dozen people living in shacks with four walls of corrugated tin.

Well, we would go door-to-door visiting these shanties and sharing the gospel with those who lived there. And, after visiting numerous families that were emaciated with HIV and just existing through life, we came to one home that stood out. It was a shack too, because it was all they could afford. But, it was clean. The front yard wasn’t filled with trash and mud. It was a planted garden with lush vegetables and beautiful flowers. There, the mother was smiling and the kids were laughing. Surrounded by death, it was a place of life. Surrounded by sadness, they were people of life.

That image has stayed with me because it’s a picture of who Christians are meant to be. We live in a world surrounded by death, but our homes should be places of life. We live in a world filled with sadness, but we are meant to be people of life. In a broken world, we are meant to live with a deep joy and a steady hope

God’s Word

That’s what David is longing for in Psalm 16. Psalm 16:9 is the dream we all have, isn’t it? Psalm 16:9 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” Isn’t that the dream? A glad heart on the inside. A secure life on the outside. Joy that reaches your whole being. That’s what you want for your kids, isn’t it? That’s what you want for your church, your community—and if we’re honest—that’s what you want for yourself.That’s the dream we have for Orchard Church too. True happiness. Real joy. A life that’s secure and full. So here’s David, writing from a hard season in his life, and he gives us Three Realizations of True Happiness (headline)—truths that show us how a life surrounded by brokenness can still be a place of life.

I have “what” I “need.”

Psalm 16:1–2 “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 16:5 “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.”

Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who survived Nazi concentration camps during World War II. He lost his family, his freedom, and almost everything that mattered to him. And yet, while imprisoned, he noticed something surprising. The prisoners who suffered the most weren’t always the ones with the weakest bodies or the least food. Often, they were the ones who needed to be happy again. They kept saying, “Once this ends, then I’ll be okay. Once life gives me what I need, then I’ll have peace.” When those hopes were crushed again and again, they lost the will to live.

(Quote on screen) But others survived by letting go of the demand to be happy. Instead, they found meaning—caring for another prisoner, holding onto faith, loving someone beyond themselves. Frankl later wrote, “Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.” In other words, the more desperately you need to be happy, the more fragile you become. But when happiness becomes a byproduct of meaning, purpose, or love, it often appears unexpectedly—even in suffering.

What do I “need”?

David is wrestling with this in Psalm 16. He’s in distress—possibly facing death—and he’s pleading with God to “preserve” him. He’s tempted toward fear and insecurity. And in this psalm, David is answering the question all of us must answer: What do I need to be happy?Because like Frankl discovered, the more you need to be happy, the less happy you’ll be.

Think about all the things we’re told we need in order to be happy. We need a trauma-free childhood. We need a job we’re passionate about. We need a dream wedding, a problem-free marriage, exceptional kids, a body that doesn’t age, and a retirement that won’t run out. But if you need all of that to be happy, you won’t be. Even if you have it, you’ll fear losing it. And if you don’t, you’ll feel cheated—like God and life have failed you. There’s no security or peace there.

What do I “have”?

David realizes that if he needs ideal circumstances to be happy, he never will be—because he doesn’t have them. So instead of focusing on what he lacks, he focuses on what he already has. In verse 2, he remembers that he doesn’t need what others call “a good life.” He has the One who is the source of all good. Notice “Lord” appears twice. First, YHWH—the covenant God who is committed to him in love. Then Adonai—the sovereign Lord who rules over every circumstance. The God who reigns over all is for him and with him. By putting these two names side-by-side, David is making a point: Life may not be good, but God is—and that’s enough.

Then look at verse 5. For David to say that the Lord is his “chosen portion,” “cup,” and the holder of his “lot” is for David to say that in the Lord He has everything that He needs already. He’s not operating at a deficit. He has everything he needs to be satisfied in God, so God is his “chosen portion.” Every longing and thirst he has can be quenched in God’s goodness, so God is his “chosen cup.” His life may not be going the way he would write it, but God “holds his lot,” and that’s enough for him. He isn’t operating as a person of needs. He isn’t living at a deficit. He has the Lord.

(draw 2 cups) So, here’s the question that will determine how happy you are: Are you searching for what you think you need, or are you resting in what you already have? Do you see yourself as a person of needs—or a person of haves? Our culture tells us we’re empty cups that need constant filling. You see, pop psychology has taught us that all of us are need cups constantly looking to be filled. We need our parents and our kids and our spouses and our jobs and our hobbies to constantly be pouring into us, or we’re empty, depleted, and miserable. But, David shows us another way. If our happiness isn’t tethered to what we need from others or from our career or from our health, but rather our happiness is tethered to the enjoyment of God alone, then we can live every day with the knowledge that our cup has already been filled by him! Everything else in life — families, marriages, jobs, hobbies — become the sweeteners, the good gifts from a good God that we can enjoy, yet not be destroyed if they don’t come.

Can you say with David: “I have (in God) what I need”? If so, you’re beginning to enjoy God, and you’re arriving at a core realization of true happiness.

I know “where” I “belong.”

Psalm 16:3 “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

Psalm 16:5–6 “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.”

Psalm 16:1 “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.”

In 1845, a man named Sir John Franklin set out to find the Northwest Passage. He left England with two ships, the best technology of the day, and enough supplies to last for years. On paper, it looked like a sure thing. They had everything they needed.

But the expedition vanished. Years later, search teams pieced together what happened. And what they discovered was surprising. These men didn’t die because they ran out of supplies. They died because they didn’t belong where they were. They tried to live like English sailors in the Arctic—wearing the wrong clothes, eating the wrong food—while ignoring the advice of the Inuit communities who had lived and thrived there for generations.

They died because they didn’t belong there and so do we. So much of what we call the search for happiness is really a search for our people and our place. And when we don’t know where or with whom we belong, joy and happiness are elusive. David realizes this, and when the circumstances of his life aren’t good, he remembers…

He belongs to a “people.”

When life is hard, we have to fix our minds on solid joys—joys that don’t depend on our circumstances. That’s what David does. He stirs his own heart by remembering what brings him delight: “the saints in the land.” David may be surrounded by enemies, but he remembers—not everyone is against him. God still has a people. There is a faithful remnant, and he belongs to them. That brings him joy.

And “saints” aren’t just people he likes. They are God’s chosen people—the ones who walk in His ways even as the world around them falls apart. They remind David that God keeps His promises and assures his deliverance. They’re still here, so God has kept his word to Abraham. And, if God kept his word to Abraham, then He’s going to keep his word to you. Your throne will endure. Your deliverance will come.

That’s why we gather here every week. Every sinner that limps into this church to sing songs of praise is a reminder that God is still mending the broken, delivering the shameful, and satisfying the searching. And, when life is hard, I need you to loan me your praise so that I can keep enjoying God when I’m not enjoying my circumstances. I need the “delight” of belonging to a people and to remember that in a world that feels strange, I have a place.

He belongs in a “place.”

The whole Bible can be summarized as God delivering his people in the place He has for them. Think of how significant place is. We start in a place and lose it. And, the creation groans to return. Then, Israel is promised a place and given it. But, then they lose it, miss it, and long for it. And, who are we today? We are “elect exiles” Peter says, longing, awaiting, and anticipating when the heavens and earth will be made new. We know we belong in a place, and we know that place isn’t here, and if we try to build our happiness in this place, we’ll soon discover that it’s just chasing the wind.

This is David’s discovery in Psalm 16. You’ll notice in verse 3 that the “saints” are “in the land.” They’re in their place. Then, you’ll notice in verse 6 that David realizes that he has a place, too. When Jewish people thought of an “inheritance,” they thought of their PLACE in the Promised Land. And, David says that the property “lines” of his “inheritance” is an especially pleasant place. Well, where is it? David’s place is in the Lord. That’s the point. “IN YOU I take refuge.” “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup.” David may be on the run. He may be hiding in caves. He may be sleeping on dirt. But, he has a place, and it’s totally secure. His place is “in the Lord.”

You see, extravagant inheritances secure the future—and when your future is secure, it takes the edge off the despair of today. You always know it’s going to get better. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a trust fund baby? Born into the world with millions already waiting for you. I remember seeing Prince William going to college and thinking: What would it be like to know your grades don’t determine your future? No stress about school, work, or whether you’re good enough—because it’s already taken care of. How freeing would that be?

Now, here’s the good news: every one of us who belongs to the Lord is a trust fund baby. He has gone to prepare a place for us. We have the most extravagant inheritance imaginable—the Lord Himself. So live like it today. Enjoy your knowledge of your inheritance in God today, and let that joy fill your life now, not just in the future.

I recognize “who” to “trust.”

Psalm 16:4 “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.”

Psalm 16:7–11 “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

1 Kings 18:29 “And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.”

Because we’re all searching for happiness, happiness has been monetized. Companies aren’t really trying to sell you products—we can usually see through that. What they’re selling is happiness. Think about it. What’s McDonald’s famous line? “I’m lovin’ it.” This cardboard cheeseburger makes me happy—and our playground will do the same for your kids. Burger King? “Have it yooouuurrr way!” We’ll give you what you want, and you’ll be happy. Nike? “Just do it.” If you’ll accomplish the thing, live the dream, you’ll be happy. And Disney World? “The happiest place on earth.”

“Beware” false “advertising.”

Modern advertising functions like ancient idolatry. False gods have always sold happiness. Have you ever wondered why false gods are always such a temptation for God’s people throughout the Bible? It’s the same reason they’re a temptation for you. The same reason they’re a temptation for David. They market happiness at a lower price. No repentance, no waiting, no trust. That’s why they’re always tempting. They give you a set of rituals to follow and hoops to jump through, and promise that if you do all of these things, you’ll finally have everything you’ve been searching for. Just do this, buy this, become this, and you’ll be happy. And, you’ll be happy — allegedly. They always keep the carrot just out in front of you so that it seems easily attainable, but always out of reach.

False gods market happiness, but they can only deliver sorrow. It’s always false advertising. So, David remembers the Lord’s warning: “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.”

It reminds me of Elijah in 1 Kings 18. Israel had begun sacrificing to Baal and Asherah, convinced these gods would make life better. Elijah calls for a showdown. Eight hundred and fifty prophets dance, flail, and even cut themselves, reopening old scars to get their god’s attention. And the verdict? “No voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.” Israel had sold its soul to gods that could not answer and did not care.

We don’t cut ourselves with knives—but we do cut ourselves with exhaustion, comparison, overwork, and endless striving, hoping this time happiness will answer. We chase promotions, accumulate toys, curate lives online, or discipline ourselves in every possible way—thinking happiness is just within reach. But the world can only offer temporary satisfaction. We eat the hamburger, buy the shoes, visit Disney World, get the raise—and still, we are hungry and still unhappy. It’s cheap happiness, and cheap happiness always breaks.

True happiness must…

“Believe” true “promises.”

But, the God of Elijah and David is different. Elijah stood as one prophet before the 850 false prophets, and he prayed just two sentences. His God doesn’t need his empty superstitions. And, like a fiery missile across the dusky sky, the fire of God fell, vindicating his prophet and proving that He is the true God.

David, too, faced a choice. Would he buy into the happiness that seemed cheaper and easier, or would he trust the Lord even when nothing in life suggested he should? Verses 7-8 show his decision. David’s heart trusts the “counsel” of the Lord, not the false advertising of an easier way and a cheaper happiness. He will set “the Lord always before” him, with the confidence that he will not be “shaken,” even though his life isn’t easy right now.

Just like Elijah, but on an even bigger scale, David’s faith is ultimately vindicated. Look at verses 8–11. Here’s the twist—Peter tells us in Acts 2 that these verses aren’t really about David. Think about it: David was shaken. He stumbled. He never knew the uninterrupted joy we read about in verse 9. By verse 10, he’s dead and buried—he never tasted the “pleasures forevermore.” No, these verses point to the greater David who was coming: Jesus. The fire of God fell at the cross, but death couldn’t hold Him. Sheol couldn’t stop Him. And in rising, He opens the way for us, showing the world what true life—and true joy—really looks like.

You see, Jesus came to fulfill verses 8-11 so that they could be yours, too. Earlier, we said verse 9 is the dream that we all have — for our kids, our church, our community, and ourselves. Well, the resurrection says that it’s not just a dream; it’s a purchased reality. This isn’t false advertising. This is a verified promise.

You don’t have to chase happiness because happiness came looking for you. It’s really true. You can give up the chase. And, you can spare your kids the chase and your friends the chase. Jesus has really come, and you can really rest in him. You don’t have to catch the eye of your God. You don’t have to cut yourself. You don’t have to dance. You don’t have to win comparisons. You don’t have to hope He listens. You just get to enjoy him. And, it’s an enjoyment that will bring you “pleasures forevermore.” Trust him.