“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” - Psalm 51:12
When God used Phillip to conduct an evangelistic campaign in Samaria, the Bible says, “And there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:8). An entire city experienced “great joy.” It would be difficult to pinpoint a city experiencing “great joy,” today. Crime, social unrest and political division has gripped most cities. Even small communities aren't enjoying great joy.
But what about you as an individual? Do you have great joy? Is it obvious to everyone around you that you have great joy? If your family, neighbors and co-workers described your life, could they honestly say that you have great joy?
Sadly, joy is missing from most professing Christians. At conversion, each one of us experienced great joy. Perhaps the subsequent days, weeks and months were filled with great joy. But what about now?
King David once had a life of great joy. As he penned Psalm 51, this joy was missing from his life. The great joy he once enjoyed was gone. As he prayed, he asked God, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
David lost his joy when we pursued sin. Sin cannot coexist with divine joy. Sin is a joy robber. Sin promises pleasure but leaves you depleted and defeated. Nehemiah 8:10 states, “... the joy of the LORD is your strength.” We lack such strength today!
Perhaps you can look back at your past and recall the days when you had great joy. Maybe those days are just a faint memory now. Nevertheless when you remember those days, you have an aching desire to return to them.
Can you have your joy restored? Is it possible to get that joy back?
The devil will tell you that you'll never get your joy back again. You need to realize that he is a liar. His lies have led you to the joyless life you are now living. His lies have deceived and defeated you. Why listen to him any more? Why give any attention to his lies? You need the truth. God's Word not only contains truth, it is truth (John 17:17). It is time to listen to the truth. It is time to heed the truth.
The truth is that the same One who gave you joy in the first place is the same One who can restore it. Yes, there are consequences to our actions. That was true for King David and it is true for us. Sometimes we must reap what we've sown. Yet it is possible to get your joy back.
The temptation is to get stuck in the pig pen and refuse to get out. Pride is a terrible substitute for joy. Pride keeps many people stuck in the mire. Rather than admitting their sins and seeking help, proud people go on with their addictions and sinful lifestyles. While they celebrate their independence and freedom of choice, they do so covered with the filth of the pig sty.
Another mistake that people make is to believe that joy comes through their circumstances. They believe that if their circumstances improve, they will have more joy. That simply isn't true. Joy is a gift from God. He provided it freely to us to begin with. We never achieved joy, we simply received it. There are many people who are facing wonderful circumstances, yet they are miserable.
So how does a Christian get his joy back?
REPENT. First, he needs to confess his sins and repent of them. That's what David did. As I mentioned earlier, sin is a joy robber. Perhaps your sins aren't as obvious as David's, yet until you repent, you are an unclean vessel that God refuses to fill with joy.
RETURN. Draw close to God once more. Even if you have no obvious sins in your life, if joy is missing, it is probably due to the fact you aren't as close to God as you once were. Return to Him in childlike faith.
REQUEST. Like David, ask God to restore the joy you once experienced.
REJOICE. Paul told the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4). Quit looking to your circumstances and begin looking at Christ. That is where the joy is. Don't wait for things to get better, simply rejoice in the Lord. Paul told the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord, “always,” not just on good days. Rejoice today. Rejoice because your name is written on high. Rejoice that you belong to Him. Rejoice in His love. Rejoice in His presence. Rejoice in His promises. Rejoice in the fact you have heaven for a home. Rejoice in the Lord.
You can get your joy back right now.
Rejoice in the Lord!
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