Faith Venture

I’m grateful to Bill Hybels for pointing out Psalm 51 to ponder during Lent. This plea from David has much to contemplate.

After the horror of the terrible things he had done became apparent to David, he wrote, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.”

As you contemplate each day what Jesus did for you and how the Spirit can now enter your life, maybe it’s time to ask God to restore you to joy. It is good when Christians are a smiling people. Happy in outlook because they are resting in salvation.

But David doesn’t ask for personal joy just for himself. In this era we live in, it seems that everyone is tuned to the old famous radio station WII-FM (what’s in it for me). I’m sometimes discouraged by the many conversations I have where the other person is only interested in themselves. Humans have probably always been self-centered to a degree. Today, though, that attitude seems to define the era. It is everywhere just like mixing yeast into the dough.

David wants restoration of his relationship with God—so that he can tell others. “Then I will teach transgressors your ways.” A witness coming from deep personal experience is the most powerful one. I can teach you from theory or from other people’s problems. But when you’re broken and restored, it’s a powerful witness.

And by the way, David did teach us. We’re reading his words 3,000 years later. Wow, that’s powerful.

It may seem weird to pray for joy in a time when emotions akin to mourning are more prevalent during Lent. But I think it’s a God thing.

This entry was posted on March 31, 2011 at 7:17 am and is filed under Faith, Living, Prayer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.