Knowing God - Psalm 51:12

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Your Name is JOYFUL

Use this day, O Lord, to help me appreciate the details of life even more,

thereby filling me with greater wonder and joy.

As many days as you can remember back, recall what’s brought you joy. Then ask for more today.

 

Restore to me again the joy of your salvation

Psalm 51:12

 

In college, we had a noise meter that hung from the coloseum rafters. After a big play, as the cheers rose and lights on the meter would rise.

 

In your life ... right now ... on a scale of one to ten ... what are the level of your cheers? Indeed, how far up is your JOY meter?

 

We've all felt joy before, right? To what degree are you hungering to pray like King David, "restore to me again the joy of your salvation"? Indeed, how many more lights do you want to be lit up on your joy meter today?

 

For David, to have his joy meter relit, he needed to do some confessing. That was clearly part of Psalm 51. David needed to tear down the wall that he and his sin had erected between himself and God.

 

And that brings us to what joy really is ... and isn't. Joy is often mistaken for happiness. But happiness is short-term and circumstantial. Joy transcends circumstances. In fact, I've seen joy at funerals. There's nothing happy about the pain, grief, loss, and death. But there can still be joy as the family recalls forty-two years of marriage and children and grandchildren and laughter and victories. Even looking into a deep grave, families can have profound hope in the promise of heaven.

 

Happiness is circumstantial. Joy plugs its light meter into the God who transcends grief, pain, fear, and circumstances.

 

So maybe the question isn't, "How high is your meter?" but what (or who) are you plugged in to? And what's keeping you from plugging more fully into the source of all joy?

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who remembers joy

from love, joy, peace,

patience, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, self-control,

and everything else the Spirit gives!

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I often say that I don't care if I am happy, but I want joy.  I had it after Via. But life has gotten in the way. The light has greatly dimmed. The mirror is fogging back over.  What is keeping me from plugging more fully into the source of all joy? several things ... fear most of all.  fear of not finding it. fear of failure.  My perfectionism, type A personality, can really get in the way sometimes.  Another biggie is discipline ... or rather ... lack there of.  Why start if I'll be unsuccessful? If it'll go away, why bother.

The verse above brings to mind a song by Keith Green (wish we'd sing it sometime in church)...

Create in me a clean heart oh God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Create in me a clean heart oh God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

And cast me not away from Thy presence oh Lord,

And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,

And renew a right spirit within me.

This needs to be my prayer today... what about you?