Psalm 51:10-12
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
Last week I mentioned an incident from my childhood while attending church. As a matter of fact it is amazing how often my mind goes back to those long ago days. In some instances I can recall the names of the people in our small church, and in others I can only recall their faces or behavior.
There was one woman who sat across the church from where we usually sat. When the opportunity came for people to share a testimony, she would always be one of those who shared. The problem was that she was a pickle-puss. By that I mean a dill pickle-puss.
Not only did her face look like she had been baptized in vinegar, but her actions were just as sour as her facial expressions. Most of us kids did not like to be around her since she would snarl at us about something. I have no idea what had happened to make her so bitter, but she exuded it.
Across the years I have met more people like her. The tragic thing is that unsaved people often get the idea that this is what all Christians are like. They conclude that to be a Christian means that you have to lack of joy and enjoyment.
Is it possible for a born again Christian to have such joy and happiness within that it oozes to the surface? The answer is a resounding, YES! Not only is it possible for we Christians to have joy within, it is vital. Without the sincere inner joy of soul there is hopelessness. In Proverbs 29:18 we read, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.”
In today’s Scripture we read a prayer of David after being confronted by Nathan the prophet about his sin with Bathsheba. I read in David’s prayer a desire to return to the joy of his salvation which had disappeared when he had allowed sin to reign in his life.
It tells me that God’s gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ, brings joy. We can call it–SALVATION JOY! It is that inexpressible lift of spirit in knowing that our sins have been forgiven and that we have been given the precious gift of eternal life.
Sin robs us of our joy and makes us miserable inside and outside. The way we can find that joy once again is to pray as David prayed, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.”
As we sincerely pray that prayer, we can be assured that the Lord will hear and draw us close to His heart. The closer we come to God, the greater our joy. Let me close with an old hymn that contained these words, “It is joy unspeakable and full of glory, and the truth has never yet been told!” That’s the joy I want!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing.
- - - Pastor Cecil