Joy Restored

 

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

—Psalm 51:12

When we fall into the depths of despair, we do not need to stay in that deep, dark place. While we may often have no control over the circumstances of our lives that may drag us into the place of despair, we do have the ability to call out to God and ask Him to lift us up and out of the pit.

In the verse at the beginning of this blog post, King David finds himself in despair. Try as he might, David cannot turn the tide that rushes over him. The Prophet Nathan has come to David and disclosed that God has observed David’s sin with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of Bathsheba’s husband. David feels mortified and consumed by sadness at the sin he has committed. David mourns over his sin. And, as a result, David falls into a place of despair.

One of the qualities that makes King David a good example for us comes to the surface when we observe David recognizing that he has a way out of despair. David calls on God to lift himself out of the pit by restoring the joy that comes from the salvation that God has provided. We can do exactly what David has done.

When we find ourselves feeling dragged downward into despair, we can bow our hearts and heads and ask God to lift us up. We can pray the same prayer that David prayed. We can ask God to restore our joy—the joy that comes when we receive the salvation that God has given us. We do not need to stay in the pit. We have a way out.

In our darkest hours, God has given us this lesson from King David. We can ask God to restore our joy and grant us a willing spirit. Our ability to face the trials of this life comes from God, who gives us the strength and fortitude to bend our human will to His perfect will. When we do that, we can again feel our joy restored.

May God remind us of what He has done for David. As Stuart Hamblen wrote so meaningfully:

The chimes of time ring out the news
Another day is through
Someone slipped and fell
Was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strength
Your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened
For I have news for you

Chorus:
It is no secret what God can do
What He’s done for others
He’ll do for you
With arms wide open
He’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do

There is no night, for in His light
You'll never walk alone
You'll always feel at home wherever you may roam
There is no power can conquer you
While God is on your side
Take Him at His promise
Don’t run away and hide

Chorus:
It is no secret what God can do
What He’s done for others
He’ll do for you
With arms wide open
He’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do

 

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