You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. —Psalm 16:11
The association of God and pleasure is not constrained by anything outside Him. He is utterly independent and satisfied in all that He is as the Triune God. This is foundational to any thoughts we might have of God and pleasure and the benefits for us. Moreover, pleasure is not a periphery concept to who God is. It’s essential.
John Piper writes,
If God is not under constraint by forces outside himself to act contrary to his good pleasure, but rather acts only out of the overflow of the joy of his boundless self-sufficiency, then all his acts are the expression of joy and he has pleasure in all that he does. . . .
He cannot be kept back from doing what he delights most to do. And he cannot be forced to do what he does not delight in. And this is true everywhere in the universe. (The Pleasures of God, p. 37–38)
And this is good news for us.
For more on this subject, check out these online resources: “Christian Hedonism” (article by John Piper); “The Happiness of God: Foundation for Christian Hedonism” (sermon by John Piper); “Biblical and Theological Foundations for Christian Hedonism: Seven Theses” (sermon by Sam Storms); “The Life-Changing Discovery of Christian Hedonism” (article by Sam Storms).