Restoring Joy

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories that represent salvation. The first is about a man who lost a sheep, the second is about a lady who lost a valuable coin, and the third is about a father who lost a son. When the lost sheep, coin, and son are found, there is a common response: celebration and joy. Someone coming to accept Jesus as Savior is a reason to throw a party and crank up “Celebrate Good Times” by Kool and the Gang.

While we can never lose our eternal salvation, we can sometimes lose the joy of our salvation. We lose the joy of our salvation when we don’t admit to God that we’ve done something wrong. We can lose the joy of our salvation when there is unconfessed sin in our life: an affair we had, a lie we told, gossip we spread, a website we viewed, or any other wrong action. Hiding our wrongs from God robs us of joy because it hinders the delight of close fellowship with our Savior. How can we recover and maintain the joy of our salvation? We follow David’s example.

When David felt the weight of the guilt of his sins, he confessed them and then cried out to God, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12 NLT). David understood that confessing His sins to God would allow Him to experience the joy of salvation as he remembered God’s love and mercy. If the weight of sins and a sense of guilt is stealing your joy of salvation, know God offers a grace that not only forgives sin but also restores

When the guilt of our actions makes us feel separated from God let us cling to this truth: nothing can separate us from God’s love. That truth should be one of the essential sources of our joy! Our sin will not cause God to stop loving us. When we feel guilty, and guilt robs us of our joy, we need to stir up joy by confessing our sins, repenting, and embracing God’s loving-kindness.

Ponder

What is blocking the flow of God’s joy in your life? Is it a sin you need to confess?

Pray

Dear Lord, thank You for Your grace and mercy towards me. I am grateful that when I sin, You forgive and teach me a better way. I humbly confess ________________________. I ask for Your forgiveness and receive it. Remove any guilt or shame that may be stealing my joy. I rejoice in the truth that nothing can separate me from Your love. Give me a renewed passion for You.