-October 20, 2020-
Good morning, happy Tuesday,
-From Repentance To Restoration-
“Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.”
(Psalm 51:12)
The title of Psalm 51 is appropriately, “A Prayer of Repentance.” David wrote this psalm after Nathan the prophet came to him from the Lord. David had committed the double sin of adultery and murder. He had suffered so much from losing the child, to losing his sweet, joyful fellowship with the Lord.
The saddest thing in the world is a believer in sin, not confessing it, not repenting of, and not being restored. David’s sin affected him spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. God’s hand was heavy upon him to bring him back to Himself. God uses circumstances and people to restore His children. He loves us too much to let us go. God longs to restore the wonderful and fellowship with us as soon as possible.
Besides Psalm 51, the other Psalm that deals with David’s sin and his restoration in Psalm 32, entitled, “The Joy of Forgiveness.” Before there can be the joy of forgiveness there must be the reality of confession, repentance, and the forsaking of sin. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Bill MacDonald wrote a short book years ago, entitled, “There is a way back to God.” It is a painful process but it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. The process of restoration begins with our acknowledgment that we have sinned against God, confession that we have wronged God and or others, repenting of our sin, and forsaking it. When we do this, the Lord will forgive us and restore the joy of our salvation. When a Christian sins, he doesn’t lose his salvation but he does lose the joy of his salvation. Being out of fellowship with God is the most painful of it all.
David described the depth of his experience in Psalm 32:3-4, when he wrote, “When I kept silent, my bones grew old, through my groaning all the day long. For night and day Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.”
There is nothing better than being forgiven and restored. The joy is back, the closeness to God is restored, and the mercy and grace of God is like the refreshing rain on a parched land. I suggest you read both Psalms 32 and 51 together to understand David’s journey back to God.
Staying close to God, reading His Word and praying will serve as a prevention against a spiritual blowout like David had. But even so, we do sin and we should be quick to deal with it in the presence of God before it festers into a huge problem.
Have a blessed day day staying close to the Lord and when you sin, confess it, forsake it, and ask God to forgive you. He will forgive and restore. Stay safe and healthy.
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 