More Than A Feeling: Finding Joy Before the Face of God

Psalm 16:11 – “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

There’s nothing like being in the presence of God.

There are moments in church when the music is just right, the Spirit is moving, and you feel heaven sweep through the room. Those moments remind you why you love the house of God. You can feel His nearness, His peace, His power, and everything feels right in the world.

But there are also times when you stand in the same church, sing the same songs, lift the same hands , and feel nothing at all.

You love God, but you feel distant. You try to pray, but the words sound hollow. You worship, but your heart feels heavy.

You start to wonder, “Have I done something wrong? Has God left me?”

The truth is, He hasn’t gone anywhere. You’re just being invited deeper. Because what God wants for you is more than a feeling.

The Presence of God Is More Than Emotion

Scripture says in Psalm 16:11, “In thy presence is fulness of joy.”

We often hear that verse and picture a powerful worship service; a packed sanctuary, perfect harmony, and the kind of atmosphere that makes it easy to feel God.

But the Hebrew word for presence here is paniym (pronounced pa-neem), which literally means “face.”

David wasn’t saying, “In a great church service is fulness of joy.” He was saying, “Before Your face is fulness of joy.”

Joy doesn’t flow from an atmosphere. It flows from proximity; being close to His face.

You can feel God’s presence and still not know His face. You can experience the emotion of worship and still miss the relationship He’s inviting you into.

That’s why Moses’ story matters so much here.

‍Exodus 33:11 says, “And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.”

God doesn’t just want you to be moved by His presence; He wants you to know Him personally, like a friend.

What David Learned in the Field

David understood that truth. We call him a man after God’s own heart, but that doesn’t mean he always felt close to God.

He wrote, “In Thy presence is fulness of joy,” but he also cried, “How long wilt Thou forget me, O Lord? How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?”

Before he was a king, David was a shepherd; forgotten by his family, left alone in the field. There were no preachers, no worship teams, and no crowds cheering him on. Just a boy, a harp, and a God who saw him.

In that solitude, David learned what many never do: God’s presence isn’t a feeling; it’s a relationship.

That’s why, even later in life, when he walked through valleys and faced enemies, David could still say, “I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me.”

He had learned that when you live before the face of God, you can have peace even when life falls apart.

Public Feeling vs. Private Fellowship

Many know how to feel God in public. Few know how to seek Him in private.

It’s easy to worship when the music is perfect and the Spirit is moving. It’s easy to feel joy when the preacher preaches exactly what you need. But what about Monday morning, when the room is quiet and your heart feels empty?

The presence of God isn’t confined to a building. It isn’t limited to a moment. God doesn’t want you to visit Him; He wants you to dwell with Him.

Psalm 90:1 says, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.”
John 15:4 says, “Abide in me, and I in you.”
And Acts 17:28 reminds us, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being.”

God never intended to be someone you visit once a week. He wants to be your dwelling place; your constant companion, your abiding joy.

John on Patmos: When Isolation Becomes Revelation

Centuries later, the Apostle John learned the same truth.

John, the disciple “whom Jesus loved,” was exiled to a barren island called Patmos. He was isolated, forgotten, and completely alone. If anyone had reason to feel that God was far away, it was John.

But in Revelation 1:10 John writes, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.”

Even in exile, he turned his heart toward the face of God. And when he did, he said,

‍“I turned to see the voice that spake with me… and saw one like unto the Son of man.”

He turned, and when he turned, he saw the face of Jesus again.

The same Jesus who had once walked with him in Galilee was now standing with him in isolation. Because no matter where you are, in the crowd or in the cave, on the mountaintop or in the valley, His face never turns from you.

The Face That Changes Everything

When John saw Jesus’ face, everything changed. Fear disappeared. Loneliness faded. Darkness gave way to light.

That’s what happens when you come before His face.

It’s not just a momentary feeling; it’s transformation. Because in His face there’s peace, there’s power, and there’s joy that no circumstance can steal.

The psalmist said it beautifully in Psalm 105:4:
“Seek the Lord, and his strength: seek his face evermore.”

That word evermore means continually; every day, in every season, for the rest of your life.

When the Feeling Fades, the Face Remains

Maybe you’ve been praying, worshiping, and staying faithful; but it still feels like your joy is gone. You’re not broken. You’re not forgotten. You’ve just drifted from His face.

You’ve learned how to visit His presence. Now He’s calling you to live in it.

Because when you truly dwell before the face of God, everything changes. Depression may still knock, but it can’t stay before His face. Fear may whisper, but it can’t survive where His presence abides.

Before His face is fulness of joy.

The Invitation: Seek His Face

God is calling you back to His face; not to the feeling, not to the moment, not even to the crowd.

Psalm 27:8 says, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”

That’s the call today. God is saying, “Seek My face,” and your heart must answer, “Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”

Because the joy that comes from feelings fades when life gets hard. But the joy that comes from His face remains when everything else falls apart.

You don’t have to chase a moment anymore. You can live in a relationship.
You don’t have to wait for the next emotional wave. You can walk daily in His light.
You don’t have to wonder where He is. You can know Him; face to face.