It has been a busy day. I love Sundays though! My time to write is shorter but my time to be blessed is longer. I am still catching up on rest and trying to get into some kind of normal schedule. With days and nights that were kind of here and there for the past couple of years, I have felt that my joy has been a little on the down side. Back earlier in the spring I cried out to God to restore the joy of my relationship with Him that I once had, the joy that put a glow on my face. It is coming in little chunks, but it is coming!
Of course, the passage in Psalm 51:10-13 was forefront in my mind as I was asking God to restore my joy. I asked Him to take my heart, that had been beaten up a bit over the past few years, and refresh and cleanse it anew. I asked him to remove any inauthentic spirit that I may have been harboring.
I did not have any great sin to confess as King David did when he wrote this Psalm. I was just worn and weary. The distance between God and I was most likely caused because my head was hung down.
David’s reason for writing this Psalm was because he had been brought face to face with his sin. (See 2 Samuel 12:7.) He begged the Lord to please not remove him from His presence and allow His Holy Spirit to remain within him. With His repentant heart he prayed for the Lord to bring him back to the joy he had when he first knew Him, and hold him there.
As with King David, once God refreshes and renews us, our joy will overflow with His Spirit so that even those who do not know about Him can come to how wonderful He is. They will repent and their lives will be transformed for Him.
I think one challenge in all Christian walks is to keep the joy there, especially the new joy of when you first came to Christ. We can get so bogged down by the “doing/being” that we let the joy slip through our grasp. Let’s challenge ourselves to seek the joy of our salvation.
How can we apply this passage to our lives? I think we can intentionally look for the joy. The knowledge that we can turn back to God, and know that He will restore us, is uplifting and comforting. It shows that our faith is in good hands and that our joy and restoration are just around the bend.
What does this mean to my faith? As I go through the day-to-day routine of living my life, I will stumble and I will become discouraged at times. I need to keep in the forefront of my mind and spirit that my God is always there and will pick me up, dust me off and give me a boost when I need it. He will restore to me the things that I probably have not really lost, but am likely distracted from.
Lord, thank You for the precious gift of Your salvation. Help me to always seek to hold on to the joy of knowing that You are in charge and will always care for me. Help me to be aware of those situations when others need to hear about You so they can turn from this life to a life of eternal joy with You.
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“And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:” Jeremiah 32:39 (KJV)
“And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:” Ezekiel 11:19 (KJV)
“Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” Ezekiel 18:31 (KJV)
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:” 1 Peter 1:22 (KJV)
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I feel that since God has given me the gift of this platform, I must always tell you about Him.
What is your relationship to the all-knowing God of the universe, the One Who can give you joy that the world will not understand? Do you know Jesus? Do you know the peace that can come only from an intimate relationship with Him? You can know Him. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, born into human flesh, sinless, crucified and giving His life freely, buried, arisen on the third day, will come into your life and change the outcome of your eternity. You just have to be willing to believe and accept His truth.
Here is an excellent website that can give you additional information about making your decision for Jesus Christ! PeaceWithGod.net
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Restricted Vision, Unburdened Sight 
Elaine, I have an appointment with the neurosurgeon today. Please pray that Dr and all involved have God’s wisdom. My ruptured disc is really a problem which needs to be solved for me to keep going. Just look at what God gave me this morning. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up success for the upright; He is a shield for those who live with integrity so that he may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of his faithful followers. Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity—every good path.” Proverbs 2:6-9 You are loved!!
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Praying for clarity and the right path to resolution for your physical issues. Love you!
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