Read: Psalm 51 & Matthew 5:8
Watch: BibleProject: Chara / Joy
Joy from brokenness:
When we truly realize our rebellion, we recognize that we have ultimately sinned against God. We understand that this is our sin nature; we were born into a world broken by sin. We participate in that brokenness through our selfish choices, wrong decisions, and hurtful actions. Yet, even in our helpless, sinful condition, God finds us.
In humility, we cry out, “Have mercy on me, O God!” In response, He rescues us from wallowing in our sin and sets our feet upon the Rock of Christ. Our brokenness is remade. Our hurts are healed. Our sins are washed away, and our sorrow is turned to joy!
But even within this new relationship, we inevitably make another wrong turn or act out of self-interest. The prick of that old sinful nature stings us, and we find ourselves on our knees again, crying out: “Have mercy on me, O God! Restore to me the joy of your salvation! Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit in me!” What a powerful prayer.
Though weeping may last for the night, joy comes in the morning. You might be right in the middle of one of life’s heavy storms today. You might feel like your world is spinning entirely out of control. If so, right now is the best time—and it is always the best time, no matter your circumstances—to cry out to Him.
Ask Him: “Return to me the joy I felt when I first realized your salvation. Take my heart of stone, melt it, and mold it into a heart that beats for you.” This, in turn, will renew a right spirit within you. You will be His blessed child, loving Him with all your being and loving those around you the exact same way He loves them.
Right now, stop. Find a quiet place if you can. Read aloud the words of Psalm 51 below as your personal prayer for this moment, for this day, and for the renewing of your soul. Cry out for His mercy and accept it. Confess your sins, lay them down, and seek His presence—the face-to-face relationship Jesus desires to have with you. Seek and you will find; ask and the door will be opened for you.
Pray: Psalm 51:1-12 (NLT) Below.
Discussion Questions:
- Honesty From the Womb
Psalm 51:6 reminders us that God “desires honesty from the womb” (or truth in the inward parts). Why is radical honesty with God—especially confessing the things that “haunt us day and night”—actually the gateway to experiencing His unfailing love and compassion, rather than His condemnation?
- 2. The “Check Engine” Light of the Soul
Note that the “prick of that old sinful nature” often catches us by surprise even after we’ve experienced God’s grace. What does that “prick” usually look like in your daily life (e.g., a sharp word, a sudden anxious thought, a selfish defense mechanism), and how quickly do you find yourself turning it into a prayer for mercy?
- 3. Joy vs. Happiness in the Storm
Right in the middle of a life storm is the absolute best time to ask for a restoration of joy. How do you practically distinguish between the temporary happiness that the world offers and the deep, resilient joy of salvation when your circumstances are spinning out of control?
- 4. Trading Hearts of Stone
David prays for God to “create in me a clean heart.” In what specific area of your life right now do you feel your heart becoming a bit numb, cynical, or “stone-like”? What would it look like to invite God to melt and mold that specific area this week?
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.[a]
5 For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But you desire honesty from the womb,[b]teaching me wisdom even there.
7 Purify me from my sins,[c] and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
you have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and make me willing to obey you.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.