Psalm 51:12
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
There is a joy that is unexplainable when we enter into a relationship with Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. Although this new-found joy is like nothing we have ever experienced before, eventually circumstances in our lives begin to choke it out when we don't learn to consciously submit our free will to God on a daily basis. The other day, I was having a conversation with someone and the person said to me; you have no idea what I am going through and how difficult it is. For how long will I be living on a happy pill or keep pretending it is going to be okay? First of all we don't have to pretend!
I don't think this question is alien to most of us, in fact a lot of us even though we are regularly in church and serving; have never learnt to surrender our total will to God trusting Him wholeheartedly with our all through faith. And I say this because I was one of those people. For years, I dealt with God on my own terms and rules because I didn't trust Him enough to take Him for His every word and that was also because I didn't know Him intimately, neither did I know His word for it to be in my heart long enough to take root for it to grow and strengthen me in my walk with Him.
I totally believe life can be extremely difficult at times even when you are a Christian especially. Jesus Himself made it known to us when He said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." This is a promise I choose to hold on to regardless what is happening around me. Nevertheless, you are probably saying to yourself it is easier said and yes you are absolutely right about that. In my personal experience, what stops me from enjoying and living the "Joy of my salvation"; is no other than what is known to us all - Sin, unforgiveness and bitterness!
My sins for years, drew a wedge between me and God making Him seem very distant in my life. The more I felt ashamed and not worthy of His love the more I was unwilling to ask and accept His forgiveness; the longer the enemy used my situation to make me feel guilty and condemned. My life for years was unfulfilled with continuous struggles, full of pain and sorrow because of lack of knowledge of not knowing what my real identity was in Christ. We tend to get use to the ways of the world where forgiveness is a rare find so our normal instinct is to shy away from God when we have sinned. Funny enough though, He already knows we are sinners and yet He still choose to love us and in the process demostrated His love for us by sacrificing His life on the cross so we can freely have this very forgiveness without the feeling of condemnation (Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us".) wow!
In today's scripture, we both see how David; a man after God's own heart in all his glory felt this way too when he sinned against the Lord. Now the difference between David and most of us is, when he finds himself in this situation; he quickly goes to God in prayer with a repentant heart making known his wrong doing and asking for the Lord's forgiveness and help to live life according to His will in order not to lose his intimate relationship with Him. God wants us to confess our sins to Him no matter the extent of it because an unconfessed sin in our heart chokes His joy and makes it impossible to be intimate with Him. And intimacy with Him is what He created and saved us for. The Bible says in John 3:16 (emphasis added), "God so loved you and l so much beyond comprehension, that he gave you and l his only Son, that as we believe in him we would not perish but have eternal life with Him forever."
I just want to encourage and to remind you of what you are entitled to as a covenant child of God - His unspeakable joy through His Son Jesus Christ. If you are feeling as though your smile has been broken and stolen due to sin or lack of faith in Him, go to Him in prayer today and ask Him to restore the Joy of His salvation into your spirit for a restored relationship. God has renewed my joy on countless occasions when I have felt as though life has stolen my joy. And I am glad to say His word in Psalm 23:3 assures me that, "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
For His name's seek, I will never be put to shame and no matter what it cost - I just need to ask in faith! God is the author of our unspeakable joy. All we need to do is to ask and become recipient of this amazing and awesome special unspeakable joy. He loves you and will do it because a heavenly Father’s love is great toward His children and for His name's seek.
Reflections:
Are you feeling stagnant in your faith?
Do you feel like you are just going through emotions?
Applications:
As you receive and experience God's forgiveness, remember to reach out to others who are in need of this forgiveness too. Share your your renewed joy with others you come in contact with today.
Power verses:
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.---Psalm 19:7
But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.--Psalm 109:21
Although our sins testify against us, O LORD, do something for the sake of your name. For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against you.--Jeremiah 14:7
2011 Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
There is a joy that is unexplainable when we enter into a relationship with Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. Although this new-found joy is like nothing we have ever experienced before, eventually circumstances in our lives begin to choke it out when we don't learn to consciously submit our free will to God on a daily basis. The other day, I was having a conversation with someone and the person said to me; you have no idea what I am going through and how difficult it is. For how long will I be living on a happy pill or keep pretending it is going to be okay? First of all we don't have to pretend!
I don't think this question is alien to most of us, in fact a lot of us even though we are regularly in church and serving; have never learnt to surrender our total will to God trusting Him wholeheartedly with our all through faith. And I say this because I was one of those people. For years, I dealt with God on my own terms and rules because I didn't trust Him enough to take Him for His every word and that was also because I didn't know Him intimately, neither did I know His word for it to be in my heart long enough to take root for it to grow and strengthen me in my walk with Him.
I totally believe life can be extremely difficult at times even when you are a Christian especially. Jesus Himself made it known to us when He said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." This is a promise I choose to hold on to regardless what is happening around me. Nevertheless, you are probably saying to yourself it is easier said and yes you are absolutely right about that. In my personal experience, what stops me from enjoying and living the "Joy of my salvation"; is no other than what is known to us all - Sin, unforgiveness and bitterness!
My sins for years, drew a wedge between me and God making Him seem very distant in my life. The more I felt ashamed and not worthy of His love the more I was unwilling to ask and accept His forgiveness; the longer the enemy used my situation to make me feel guilty and condemned. My life for years was unfulfilled with continuous struggles, full of pain and sorrow because of lack of knowledge of not knowing what my real identity was in Christ. We tend to get use to the ways of the world where forgiveness is a rare find so our normal instinct is to shy away from God when we have sinned. Funny enough though, He already knows we are sinners and yet He still choose to love us and in the process demostrated His love for us by sacrificing His life on the cross so we can freely have this very forgiveness without the feeling of condemnation (Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us".) wow!
In today's scripture, we both see how David; a man after God's own heart in all his glory felt this way too when he sinned against the Lord. Now the difference between David and most of us is, when he finds himself in this situation; he quickly goes to God in prayer with a repentant heart making known his wrong doing and asking for the Lord's forgiveness and help to live life according to His will in order not to lose his intimate relationship with Him. God wants us to confess our sins to Him no matter the extent of it because an unconfessed sin in our heart chokes His joy and makes it impossible to be intimate with Him. And intimacy with Him is what He created and saved us for. The Bible says in John 3:16 (emphasis added), "God so loved you and l so much beyond comprehension, that he gave you and l his only Son, that as we believe in him we would not perish but have eternal life with Him forever."
I just want to encourage and to remind you of what you are entitled to as a covenant child of God - His unspeakable joy through His Son Jesus Christ. If you are feeling as though your smile has been broken and stolen due to sin or lack of faith in Him, go to Him in prayer today and ask Him to restore the Joy of His salvation into your spirit for a restored relationship. God has renewed my joy on countless occasions when I have felt as though life has stolen my joy. And I am glad to say His word in Psalm 23:3 assures me that, "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
For His name's seek, I will never be put to shame and no matter what it cost - I just need to ask in faith! God is the author of our unspeakable joy. All we need to do is to ask and become recipient of this amazing and awesome special unspeakable joy. He loves you and will do it because a heavenly Father’s love is great toward His children and for His name's seek.
Reflections:
Are you feeling stagnant in your faith?
Do you feel like you are just going through emotions?
Applications:
As you receive and experience God's forgiveness, remember to reach out to others who are in need of this forgiveness too. Share your your renewed joy with others you come in contact with today.
Power verses:
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.---Psalm 19:7
But you, O Sovereign LORD, deal well with me for your name's sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.--Psalm 109:21
Although our sins testify against us, O LORD, do something for the sake of your name. For our backsliding is great; we have sinned against you.--Jeremiah 14:7
2011 Enyonam Gbekle. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment