Our Great Restorer!

"Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." ~ Psalm 51:12
Our God is a God who restores! When you feel all is lost, God's still there, and promises to restore you, but perhaps not in the ways you expect. Never rush it! Human pregnancy takes a full nine months to produce a precious life. Even Jesus spent thirty years to prepare for His earthly ministry. Pace yourself! Your present and future joy depends on it. When you get in a hurry, all you do is set yourself up for regret. It has taken you a lifetime to get to this present moment! Proverbs 28:22 says, "He that hastens to be rich has an evil eye, and considers not that poverty shall come upon him." Slow down!

Reclaiming joy in our life deals with the sources of our joy, as well as the paths we take toward recovering that joy. Remember the song, "looking for love in all the wrong places?" People do the same thing when looking for joy! Often, the "joy" we find brings us the greatest heartache, because we did not consider the source, and it was in the wrong place. Sometimes, we feel our wells have just gone dry!

When we are distressed by the state of our lives, we find ourselves in pathetic condition. We are irritated by even the smallest inconveniences. We rarely laugh. We are quick to snap at people. We flop into bed each night, exhausted. We have no joy in our lives. There is a close relationship between the presence of stress in our lives, and the absence of joy in our lives. Many have given up on joy and presumed a dry religious ritual is the most they can hope for. What would Jesus say to those whose wells have run dry?

Deeper joy is not found in power, position, or possessions, but rather in relationships! We do not relate to God through a religion, but rather through a relationship! Jesus' second greatest source of joy came from giving Himself away for those around Him! His primary joy was His relationship with His Father! You will never get to that deeper joy, unless you decide you are dissatisfied with where you are! Get involved in a relationship with Jesus. Then, pour yourself into someone else, who may need a friend... just like you!