Psalm 51 Continued…
Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
One undeniable spiritual reality is that you cannot have joy in your walk with the Lord when you are doing things that are in disobedience to him. It is impossible. Many people begin to feel like there is no real joy in their faith but they have ignored the reality that they have distanced themselves from God by their own sins.
We are great at self-deception. We convince ourselves that we are fine and that our good deeds outweigh any negative of our sins. But God will not allow us to live that way. His own Spirit that indwells us and our own conscience (which God gave us) will actively harass you until you confront the sin that is distancing you from the Lord.
If you’ve lost the joy of a close relationship with God, the good news is that you can always find it again. Just reach out to God in repentance, and God will meet you where you are. By welcoming God into your life in deeper ways, you’ll perceive his presence more. That will make it easier to understand the wisdom of God’s guidance, which will help you follow where God leads you. Obedience won’t seem like a chore anymore. Instead, you’ll see how obeying God is an opportunity to live your best life. Then you can agree with Psalm 119:14-16: “I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” The more time you spend in God’s presence, the more joy will return to your life!
PRAY
Father never let the joy of my relationship with you wane.