At my right hand there are pleasures forever

Today would of been my mother's 81st Birthday. She went home to be with the Lord 22 years ago. She was such a powerful influence in my life to bring me to the knowledge of God and His great love for me. She told us this story a number of times in our young lives and I wanted to share it with you on this day to remember her.

This story comes from my mother’s younger days. She was 19 and living in Portland Oregon going to Bible school. She was working for a large department store called Lipman and Wolf’s. It was an expensive and swank store. On one of the upper levels it had a fancy cafeteria called the Chocolate Lounge that just served lunch. Mom worked there part time preparing sandwiches, to earn money to pay for Bible school. One older lady managed the group of young kids that worked in the kitchen. My mom came from a Christian home and her life had revolved around the church that they attended in North Hollywood. She had some very difficult things happen to her in her childhood but her main exposure to people in her life up to that point had been Christians. These kids she worked with were not. One day she heard them talking amongst themselves. They were talking about their plans for the weekend, going to a party and getting drunk. My mom was in shock. She had heard of people struggling with alcoholism and trying to stop drinking and couldn’t without the help of the Lord but she had not heard of anybody planning on getting drunk! She was so dumb founded by this, she asked them, “You mean you are planning on getting drunk?” They all burst out laughing. They said, “Why yes, don’t you do that?” She said, “No!’ Then they asked, “Well what do you do for kicks?” She told them she was a Christian and she didn’t do things like going to parties and getting drunk. They said, “Well that doesn’t sound like any fun!” She said, “Well in the Bible is says that at the Lord’s right hand there are pleasures forever and I don’t need to get drunk to feel good and be happy, the Lord makes me very happy and gives me pleasures forever. They didn’t believe that the Bible said that. The older lady that was the manager was listening in and she went up to the bookstore on the next level of the store and got a Bible and brought it back down to mom for her to read. Mom began to read Psalm 16 to them. The kitchen fell silent, you could here a pin drop. The final verse of Psalm 16 says, “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 more.” Mom closed the Bible and left. The next day when she arrived at work, one of the gals came to her asked her privately what it meant to be saved and how could she be saved?

A Michtam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

Psa 16:2
[O my soul], you have said to the LORD, "You [are] my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You."

Psa 16:3
As for the saints who [are] on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight."

Psa 16:4
Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten [after] another [god]; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips.

Psa 16:5
O LORD, [You are] the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.

Psa 16:6
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant [places]; Yes, I have a good inheritance.

Psa 16:7
I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

Psa 16:8
I have set the LORD always before me; Because [He is] at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Psa 16:9
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.

Psa 16:10
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

Psa 16:11
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence [is] fullness of joy; At Your right hand [are] pleasures forevermore.