Have You Lost Your Joy?

Do you lack sustained joy? 

Do you long to recapture the joy that you once had? 

King David had all of the things that seem to bring real joy. Friends. Family. Influence. Victories. Looks. Talent. Riches. A deep spiritual life. 

When David wrote Psalm 51, due to his own mistakes and probably due to the natural course of life itself, those seeming sources of joy had either eroded or were in jeopardy of being lost. David pleaded with God to "restore" joy. But David got very specific about the source of the joy that needed to be restored. Did David pray for the joy of restored relationships? The joy of restored influence...restored success...restored riches...restored appearances...restored joy in using his talents...or the joy of restored spiritual disciplines? 

When we lose joy it may SEEM as though it is due to loss or suffering in one of those areas, but lost joy isn't due to loss but to IDOLATRY of that which we lost. Only one thing will bring us sustained joy and it isn't anything I have mentioned so far since all of those good things come with an expiration date. 

David prayed, “restore to me the joy of your SALVATION”. 

Salvation, purchased for us by Jesus, is the ONLY sustainable source of joy in this life, or the next, because it is the only thing that is eternal. And I love that David asked God for restoration of the joy of "your" salvation...not the joy of "my" self-made salvation.

Have you lost joy? It may seem like restoring those things which you have lost will restore your joy...but it won't...maneuvering to recapture those things will only restore your idolatry to a new level...only looking away from ourselves and abiding in Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and turning our eyes upon Jesus will restore and deepen our joy! 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. ~Psalm 51:12

Previous
Previous

Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2, Excerpt

Next
Next

You Are My Hiding Place