Restore to me the joy of your salvation

"Have mercy on me, Oh God, according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion,

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight."

"Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean;

Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

Let the bones you have crushed rejoice."

"Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Do not cast me away 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."

"Restore to me, the joy of your salvation." Psalms 51. Do you feel like you are experiencing the joy of salvation today? Are you finding joy in your experience of following God, claiming the victory He has given us as overcomers? If you are not finding the joy that Jesus offers us in a relationship with Him today, then I challenge you to make this your prayer:

"Jesus, restore to me the joy of your salvation. Show me the joy of knowing you God and knowing that through you, all my sins have been erased, and I can live with freedom, experiencing your love for me."

Psalms 51 was a Psalm that David wrote after sleeping with Bathsheba. He had committed such a great sin, a sin many Christians may believe is unforgettable or unforgivable- he had an affair with another woman. And because of his sin, his soul mourned and was pained with guilt. David was a man that had known God, he was a lover of God's soul, and yet when he fell into this huge sin and secret, he had to hide from the God that knew Him and loved him. This soul separation hurt him so deeply and David wanted to come back to His father's arms, he wanted back into the loving relationship he used to have with God. But his connection was broken.

In Psalms 51, he comes back to God claiming God's promises of unfailing love- even when we fail Him- and great compassion- that is deep enough to cover each one of our short comings. David prays for a cleansing of his whole self, his whole heart and body, to find purity again, even though he has been un-pure. He asks for not just a shower and bath for His body but for a renewed clean heart. And then finally after he prays for forgiveness and mercy, a change of heart and actions, he prays to know God again, to know God's love and presence in His life again.

David knew that there was joy and blessing found in knowing God. As Psalm 32:1,2 says "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." As Psalm 1:1-3 says "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor seat in the seat of scoffers, his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields it's fruit in season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers."

"David knew of the love of God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity, and he longed to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with heaven." Steps to Christ; pg 11.

Friends, do we know the joy of living right with God and drawing close to Him? We have to ask God to search our hearts and reveal to us our sins, so that we can repent and change. He promises us He is faithful to do that work in our lives of forgiveness and of the changing of our hearts; all we need is to be willing. Can we take that step today of asking God to draw closer to us, forgive us of our sins, purify our bodies and hearts, and then restore to us the joy of His salvation?