“Restore to Me” - Psalm 51 (Day 4)

The words of King David found in Psalm 51 have served as our meditations this week. Written during a time of internal strife, David can no longer bear the weight of his hidden sin and struggles. So instead, he pleads for mercy and forgiveness, to sense God's presence, and that God would cleanse his heart while renewing his spirit. As we continue our journey, we encounter another prayer - this time, it's for restoration. But, it's not restoring his strength, determination, or faithfulness. Instead, David asks God to bring back the joy of salvation. It's this prayer that we want to explore in more detail today. But, before we begin, I want to provide space for you to ponder where your faith feels stale and stagnant. Ask God to breathe life and vitality into these places through a more profound connection with you. 

We left off yesterday with David expressing his need for a renewed spirit that would help him stand firm in his faith when faced with temptation and trials. Let's take a moment to reflect back on these words.

Psalm 51:10-11 says this:

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Renewal and restoration go hand in hand; you can't have one without the other. But, without being tended to, a steadfast spirit has its limits. When we lose sight or forget our "WHY?" - the thing that motivates us to continue, persist, and strive toward faithful obedience - we will eventually lose heart. With this in mind, I invite you to read today’s passage:

Psalm 51:12-15 says this:

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

Take a moment to reflect on what you just read:

• Of all the things he could have asked, why did David desire to see the joy of his salvation with fresh eyes? 

Think about the first time you encountered God's love and gave your life to Jesus. Feelings of delight and exhilaration met with unshakable peace and tranquility. There was a newness to everything. God felt incredibly close, His presence evident. Knowing your sins were forgiven, paid for, and covered, a sense of freedom defined you at your core. There is a joy that salvation brings. If you could bottle up all those emotions, you would do it in a heartbeat. Yet, over time, those feelings begin to wane, and that bottle that was once overflowing finds itself dangerously low. And before we know it, we're going through the motions in our faith. Obedience becomes an obligation. There is no joy to be found, only duty. As a result, for some of us, we begin to question whether that encounter with Christ's love was genuine in the first place. 

That's why it's important to note that in his prayer, David isn't asking for God to restore his salvation but the joy that came with it. The many months of hiding his sin left David spiritually stagnant. David longs for a sense of intimacy and connection. We cannot lose our salvation, but our struggles possess the power to rob our joy and the connection we feel with God as we distance ourselves from Him. An immense and inexpressible joy is available to us; we tap into it when we are honest about our hearts, and express gratitude for all God has done for us. The only way to give ourselves entirely to God's work comes by allowing God the access He needs to work within us fully. Sin separates, but grace restores.

Take a moment and consider… Where do you find yourself going through the motions in your faith? What would it look like for God to restore the joy of your salvation in this area?

Read today’s passage slowly one more time. As you do, pay attention to why David wants God to restore the joy of his salvation.

Psalm 51:12-15 says this:

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

After everything David went through, the pain and heartache he caused himself and others, David could have very easily convinced himself that was the end of his story - that God could no longer work through him. Unfortunately, many of us believe the same lie. We reason God can't use our story because it's too mundane and run of the mill or that there are too many irredeemable parts, mistakes, and poor choices. Regardless of where you find yourself, we all shy away from telling our story. So, please hear me when I say this: your story is a good story if the Gospel is a part of it. Let me say that again: your story is good if the Gospel is a part of it. 

David didn't want to keep his restored joy to himself; he wanted to give it away - to share it with others. Just like God went on to use David to proclaim His faithfulness, love, and compassion, God can use your circumstances and experiences to make His name known. Our responsibility as Christ-followers is to reach people and help them walk with God. This process begins by reflecting the hope we have in Christ through our actions and words. It also involves sharing our story and the source of our joy. People should look at our lives and wonder why we are hopeful. True change causes people to take notice of God working in our life. The message that speaks volumes to family and friends is our life impacted by God's love. 

So, as we begin to wrap up our time together, we want to provide you some space to respond to what we read and maybe to what God is trying to say to you through Psalm 51. First, take a moment to process this question… When people look at your life, what do they see? How does this picture make you feel?

Another question to consider is this… How can you share your story and the source of your joy with those around you this week?

PRAYER

Father God,

In Your presence there is fullness of joy. It is in this place where I want to reside all of my days.

When the enemy comes to steal my joy or tempt me with lesser things, I will remember that You give me grace upon grace.

May I share the joyful work You continue to do inside of my heart with the world around me.

Allow my life to be an offering of worship. Amen.