DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT THURSDAY – THE JOY OF HIS SALVATION.

“I am born for God only. Christ is nearer to me than father, or mother, or sister - a near relation, a more affectionate Friend; and I rejoice to follow Him, and to love Him. Blessed Jesus! Thou art all I want -a forerunner to me in all I ever shall go through as a Christian, a minister, or a missionary." – Henry Martyn.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. - Psalm 51:12-13. TNIV

Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. - C.S. Lewis.

David wrote Psalm 51, after the prophet Nathan confronted him and David confessed that he had committed adultery with Bathsheba. He pleads for mercy from God, and God restores the Joy of His salvation to him, because of his repentant heart.

All of us who have sinned know this feeling of sin's consequence, we feel as if we are all alone, we are wondering if there is a way back to God, we are overwhelmed by our feelings of guilt, we are asking the question… “Can we be restored?” Yes we can!

And the joy of His salvation is found in;The Knowledge of our Forgiveness. We may not have committed such great sins as David, but if our heart is right, and we come before the Lord with a repentant heart, His mercy, grace, compassion, and unfailing love, will grant us forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus.

Once we have received this forgiveness and know that we are purified, the joy of His salvation comes flooding in, Hallelujah! Praise His wonderful Name! Knowing that we are forgiven, is to know JOY... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9.

Men have pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where joy cannot be found:

Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been born."

Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone."

Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose I am the most miserable man on earth."

Not in Position and Fame -- Lord Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."

Not in Military Glory -- Alexander the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his tent, before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."

Where then is real joy found? -- The answer is simple, in Christ alone. – The Bible Friend.

Not only do we know the joy of our forgiveness, but God will also restore unto us the Joy of His Salvation! This will then propel us to begin to tell of this forgiveness, granted to us by our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Tell them about the Jesus who can mend the broken hearts, who can deliver us from addictions, who can restore broken lives, who can repair marriages, who can reunite the lost sons, daughters, husbands or wives, who can put families back together again, who can give us values and direction for our lives! Many backsliders will slide back to Jesus and many souls will be won for the Kingdom of God! Hallelujah! What a mighty God we serve!

As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: "It's a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people are the Christians--and I am one of them." - Today In The Word.

COME BACK TO JESUS, HE IS WILLING TO RESTORE TO YOU, THE JOY OF HIS SALVATION!

Loving Father, I thank you that when I have sinned, I can come before your throne and confess my sins. I thank you that you forgive and cleanse me of all unrighteousness, and that you restore the joy of my salvation! Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to tell people of your mercy, love, grace compassion and unfailing love! Help me Lord to win souls for the kingdom of God. In Jesus wonderful Name I pray! Amen!

Be encouraged!
GBYAY