Choose JoySample

DAY 20 – JOY OF YOUR SALVATION

Reflection: A key to living a joy-strengthened life is repentance, which in the Bible means ‘to return [to God]’ or ‘turn back’ (Hebrew shub) and ‘transformative change of mind or heart’ (Greek metanoia). That’s what David is doing in this psalm of repentance and penitence.

Earlier in this psalm, David has acknowledged his terrible sin (‘I recognise my rebellion, it haunts me day and night’) of adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband Uriah by placing him in the most dangerous position in battle.

Now, in these verses, having acknowledged he is a sinner and has done evil, he is asking for restoration, and part of that is the restoration of joy, specifically the joy of salvation.

To live a joy-strengthened life, choose to be honest with yourself about sin. Our pride would have us tuck away our wrong-doing as if it didn’t matter, which is a way of trying to save ourselves. Then we wonder why the joy of life seems diminished and God seems far away. Learn from David – repentance opens the door to a restoration of joy!

Choose joy: Change your mind about sin and turn back to God. If you want to know how to do this with genuine transformation, pray Psalm 51 aloud into your situation, your life.