Restore to me the joy Your salvation

“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit” (Psalm51:12).

Sometimes the cloudy skies of our daily life in this dark, groaning world beats us down spiritually and emotionally. Sometimes it’s not the sin of others, but our own sinfulness that tries to close the curtains of the windows of our heart to hide from the Sunshine. In these seasons, sadness plays in our minds and the joyful event of when Jesus first conquered our hearts seems like a faded memory. If and when you find yourself in this dark place, we must follow David to approach the throne of grace.

We must remember that salvation belongs to the Lord (Psalm 3:8). “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” We are hopeless to be restored to God; thus, utterly dependent upon Him to save us! If salvation is sovereign to God, then so is the joy of His salvation. So we cry out to the Source of our salvation to restore to us the joy of His salvation. 

What is the joy of God’s salvation? David cries out to God “Cast me not away from Your presence” (Psalm 51:11). The joy of our salvation is enjoying God. We do not simply enjoy His blessings of peace and comfort, we enjoy Him! So David in this Psalm first turns to God to enjoy God! But when we turn to our holy God, we recognize our need for Christ. David prays that God would wash him to hear the joy of God’s salvation that in David’s brokenness he may rejoice in God (vs7-8). 

God will not despise an honest, broken, and humble approach to Him through Jesus (vs 17). We must draw back the curtains of our hearts, be fully exposed to God with confessions of our sinfulness and brokenness. The painful burning of His glorious purging of our sins meets His amazing grace which does not push us away, but rather draws us into His presence to enjoy Him. His transforming grace visits us and gives us a willing spirit to find our delight in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

May our God of grace restore His joy of His salvation in Jesus to you; a joy in our present brokenness with a full hope in Christ’s resurrection and return to complete His Kingdom work.