31 Days of Devotions: Joy

Photo credit: knowhimonline

I'm joining the 31 Days series with a 31 Days of Devotions here.  I've been struggling to find a way to write from my heart again, so I decided to begin where my heart is - His word.  I will be sharing a different theme each day, sort of a word study of words of encouragement and hope that have meant a lot to me recently.  Some days I may post more than once if there are other things I want to share about our day to day life, but there will always be a 31 Days post every day for the month of October. I hope you will join in every day and share your own thoughts.  And, of course, for more 31 Days posts, go here.

 Photo credit: Cathdew

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." (Psalm 51:12)

It was my first full week of (substitute) teaching and I am beyond exhausted.  But it's a good exhausted.  I'm enjoying teaching and my kids love going to "friend's house" everyday.  I'm learning to enjoy the moments I have with them, because I miss them all day long.

Speaking of joy, God's word is full of such wonderful riches as this verse from Psalm 51.  Joy: gladness, exultation, rejoicing.  In the midst of some of my hardest struggles, I've often wondered, "Joy? How do I find it? Will I ever have joy again?" and God answers with words like this, the words of a man named David, who God called a man after His own heart.

He wrote these words after Nathan the prophet brought his sin with Bathsheba to light.  He had sinned and he was asking God to restore Him, to heal Him, to give Him joy again.   I love the words of Matthew Henry about this Psalm, "though he fell, he was not utterly cast down, for God graciously upheld him and raised him up."  David acknowledged his sin, repented, and sought God's restoration.  I can only imagine how God's heart must have grieved when David sinned...but how much more He must have rejoiced when David had a repentant heart upon hearing Nathan's words. 

And it makes me wonder too...how much God must have grieved for me when depression and anxiety took control of me.  In the midst of that darkness, I longed to be filled with His light again, but I doubted and I let fear set in.  I could not even hear the truth of His words sometimes, because it was shut out by the lies filling my head.  But God (and I just love to hear those two words, don't you) was patiently waiting for me to return to Him, leading me through the valley even though I didn't always know it, and giving me victory, restoration, healing.

It's because of His healing power and His unending faithfulness that I can once again believe the words of Psalm 13:5, "But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation."  And in the rejoicing, I begin to see more of who He is and how He was working all things together for good all along.  And finally, triumphantly, I can live in victory.  Because He is the faithful God who keeps His promises to a thousand generations.