| "Restore Unto Me The Joy" Getting The Joy Back |
| "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation." (PSALM 51:12) This was David's prayer in this great Psalm of confession and repentance. He had sinned and the joy in the Lord, the joy in his salvation had been clouded and interrupted by a defiled conscience. There is joy of salvation of which all God's true children know, for it comes in believing and is produced by the Holy Spirit. And that joy is not an experience, but the Lord Himself is our joy, who is our salvation. 1Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory He is our joy as well as our peace. We know His great love wherewith He loved us. We know that He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. We belong to Him and He belongs to us, for we are one with Him. And we wait for the blessed moment when our joy will be full, when we shall see Him as He is face to face and be like Him. Forever with the Lord to share His riches in glory-- This is our wonderful future. And in this the believer is to rejoice at all times. But this joy, real and abiding, is only possible if we walk in that salvation. True joy becomes impossible if we do not walk in the light, if there is no self-judgment and confession. We must live in the power of salvation, dead indeed unto sin, dead to the world and alive unto God. The believer is delivered out of the world; he is not of the world. Our calling is a heavenly calling. Where this is forgotten and the soul is conformed to this present evil age, when there is a forgetfulness of heavenly things, a walk not in the Spirit but a carnal walk, there can be no joy in the Lord and in His salvation. The peace of God is unknown and the Lord Jesus is dishonored. Nearly fifty years ago a brother wrote, "Earthly-mindedness is the very stamp and character of the Christian 'profession' of our times." It is even more so today. It is true there is everywhere a multitude of activities called "Christian" service; there is also a remarkable increase of biblical knowledge; but how little true piety and real separateness from the world is to be found! And have you lost the joy of His salvation? Do you mourn over your indifference? Do you wish to possess greater reality, greater joy, greater strength? The way is plain. Read the Fifty-first Psalm. Humble yourself in His presence! Bring all the hidden things to the light. Confess it to Him! Judge yourself! Yield yourself to Him in complete self-surrender and then the prayer "restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation" will be graciously answered. This short commentary was first published In "Our Hope Magazine," July 1916. ©2008 Cobblestone Road Ministries All Rights Reserved ---------------------------------------------------- Further Reading: Are You A Rockinghorse Christian? Having The Joy Of The Lord Repentance The Bible Cure For Bad Attitudes Trust In God, Hope in God The Importance Of Daily Living To Be Like Jesus |
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