Have you ever noticed a Bible verse repeating over and over again in your life?

In our recent readings for the Second Sunday of Easter we read Psalm 16. Verse 11 is especially meaningful to me.

“You show me the path of life.
    In your presence there is fullness of joy;
    in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11 NRSVUE

When I skipped church as a young teenager and walked the paths in the park worshiping God, it seemed as if David’s experience was my experience, too.

In 1993 I attended a silent retreat. When Psalm 16 came up I felt led to take verse 8 with me and practice God’s presence as I walked the Convent grounds.

I keep the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Psalm 16:8 NRSVUE

The practice that day deepened my faith and my trust in this God who is always at my right hand. Isaiah 42: 6 verses a and b go along with this verse.

“I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
    I have taken you by the hand and kept you…”

When I attended the Jewish funeral service for our dear “Aunt Cloty Gutman” in May, 2002 they read this Psalm. I was deeply touched as I remembered again that we both shared trust in this God whom David extolled.

The path of life, fullness of joy, pleasures forevermore … why would I seek after anything else?

I learned early in life that the God of Jesus is Who I wanted to seek. After dabbling in things of the world and even tasting the occult, I realized that only Jesus is eternal. Only God Almighty is going on forever. That is Who I want to follow. That is Who I want as my leader.

Protect me, God,
for you are my refuge.
² I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good outside of you.”
³ The holy people in the land are the ones
who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.

⁴ Those who run after another god
multiply their sorrows;
To such gods I will not offer
drink offerings of blood
or take their names on my lips.

⁵ Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:
you safeguard my share.
⁶ Pleasant places were measured out for me;
I am content with my heritage.

⁷ I bless Adonai, my counselor;
at night my inmost being instructs me.
⁸ I always set Adonai before me;
with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;
⁹ so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,
and my body too rests in safety;
¹⁰ for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,
you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.
¹¹ You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight. The Complete Jewish Bible