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¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 51:12

Devotional

Philippians 4:4 declares, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” It appears the Apostle Paul thought that it was highly important to consistently maintain a spirit of joy. The fact that he repeats this charge and exhortation makes it clear that God desires our joy on every occasion as we serve him.

Anyone who has given their life to Christ and hungers to obey the Lord Jesus knows that eventually a dry season in their spiritual journey may arrive. The joy they once had for being loved, forgiven, and cleansed by Christ might diminish, stagnate, or disappear and evaporate from their spirit. Eventually, that person may not even realize how far they have fallen into the danger of indifference and lost their first love for the Lord (Revelation 2:4-5). Then after acknowledging this lack of joy, something triggers the desire for the joy of our salvation to be restored. That restoration can only come from God Himself, according to King David in Psalm 51:12 when he asks the Lord to “restore to me the joy of your salvation.” David is clear that God alone is the author of salvation and, therefore, the only One who can restore that sincere and utter elation that comes from knowing that our Creator has forgiven and healed us because of his unfailing love and mercy.

Many Christians, at some point in their spiritual journey, will experience this loss of joy. One thing is certain: if you lose the joy of your own salvation, you will not be motivated to share the story of your salvation with others. We quickly become evangelists for those things that bring us joy. People talk about things that bring them joy. Silence is not the other face of joy. Speech is. Oftentimes we have the tendency to express our joy as a specific-coffee-brand-evangelist, or sports evangelist, or movie evangelist, or music evangelist, or restaurant evangelist more than being a Gospel evangelist. If we are honest, we might take more joy in the simple pleasures of this world than the abundant treasure of His Word. God has promised us eternal life in His Son, and there is no greater gift, blessing, and pleasure in all of creation than this!

God alone can restore joy to our hearts concerning our salvation. He will remind us that we have been saved, are being saved, and will be saved. What a true gift of love from our Heavenly Father! He will restore our joy for His Glory and our benefit, but we must ask. Then, our renewed joy will lead us to tell others about what is so life-giving and important to us. We will not be silent. We will not discount our story, and certainly not His Story.

¹⁶But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”

Psalm 40:16 (ESV)

⁷Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:7 (NIV)

Reflect

• Do you have genuine joy for the extraordinary gift of your salvation?
• How often do you thank Jesus through prayer for saving you? How often do you praise Christ as the Author of Salvation?
• Imagine your life if you were lost and not saved. What would it look like? How would it be different?
• Who do you know that needs to hear about the joy of salvation that comes from Christ so that they might have an opportunity to experience that same joy that belongs to God’s children?

Pray

1. If you lack joy for your salvation, ask God to restore it through the power of His Holy Spirit. If you have joy in your salvation, ask God to elevate it.
2. Pray to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that his “joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete (John 15:11).”
3. Pray specifically for somebody that you believe does not have the peace and joy that the Lord brings through salvation.