Psalm 51:10 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

David had sinned. He had Uriah the husband of Bathsheba killed because he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and she had gotten pregnant with his child. Uriah was a faithful servant to the king and his country. David was being crushed under the weight of his sin. He was hard-pressed to feel the joy he once had. Sin was standing in his way. His relationship with God was strained, not because God had changed or done anything, but David had. He missed the joy he once had. Sin had robbed him of his joy. Now what?

We too can find ourselves living in a joyless way. Sin has robbed us of the closeness we once felt with our Lord. We go through the motions of trying to find happiness, but joy is a harder thing to restore. Unconfessed sin will cause you to feel isolated and alone. It will make you feel like millions of miles have been put between you and God. God has not moved or changed his mind about you. He is close, waiting for, what?

When we sin as Christians it causes us to feel as though a wedge has been placed between us and God. The distance to forgiveness and restoration can seem enormous, but is it? When we let sin have its way and we keep it to ourselves unconfessed before God, joy leaves us. As a believer you know when you are wrong; often we simply refuse to confess it going through the motions of normalcy, attending church, smiling, and putting on a good front, but deep inside we know something is wrong. Our smiles are shallow and our hearts are heavy.

We have allowed the enemy of our souls to rob us of our joy, giving us shame in its place. There is a way to make it right, a way to regain your joy in the Lord. How? Confess your sin, and believe God has forgiven you. See, if we confess our sin, yet still think that God is mad at us and holding onto his anger, our joy will not return. It is only when we believe what his word says in Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” And also in
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Satan will try his best to keep you from confessing, first, he does not want to lose this hold he has on you and the shame he has piled on you; second, he doesn’t want you to stop the sin he has brought into your life. He may even up the anty by making it even more attractive. But, if you confess with true repentance, God will and does forgive. Does this mean the consequences of sin are removed, sometimes, but most of the time we live out the consequences. Just remember consequences are different than unforgiven. God’s word says He forgives. Read it above…He does not despise a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart.

Examine yourself today, look deep into your heart. Is there anything that needs confessing? Is there anything even a small thing standing between you and God. Confess it, bring it to the light, and when you do accept and believe that God has forgiven you. When you do you cannot help but feel the joy rising in your soul. What the enemy had taken is rushed in like a mighty wave. It boils down to believing God has forgiven you. That you are once again in a right place before God. God already knows your sin; he has been with you each time you sinned. He is Sovereign and always present no matter where we go or what we do. He does not force us to as for forgiveness, He waits patiently for us to once again hear His voice and turn away from our sin. He desires to forgive us and to restore a right spirit within us, He waits for our confession.

Do not let fear of unforgiveness or even consequences keep you from confessing sin to God. Do not for one more moment allow the enemy of your soul to lie to you and tell you God cannot or will not forgive you. Remember if his lips are moving, he is speaking lies. He is the father of lies. And remember, when we confess our sins, when we have been forgiven of our sins, God will walk with us through the consequences of those sins and give us grace and mercy even in that.

Let your joy be restored…there is a way. Confession and true repentance.
God is waiting, will you right now bow your knees and ask him, believe him, and let the joy restoring begin. You will not regret it, I promise! He is a good, good Father.