Psalms – The Joyful Christian Ministry. Cheryl Cooper Downum

Restore The Joy Of Our Salvation

Here we see that David’s heart is broken. He comes with a humble and repentant heart before God. He seeks reconciliation, mercy, and cleansing. He requests that God would restore to him a clean heart, gladness, and the joy of his salvation.

David doesn’t just say, “I’m sorry.” He means it. He pleads with God to have mercy on him. He acknowledges and feels the weight of his sins, which are “always before him” (Psalm 51:1-3). When we’re really sorry, we acknowledge our sins without making excuses and sincerely seek forgiveness.

When we are truly repentant, we want to learn and grow from our mistakes. David begs God to change His heart and restore their relationship: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:10-12).

When our hearts are aligned with God’s, our actions will be, too (Psalm 51:17-19). And when that happens, God works through us to share His message of salvation with others (Psalm 51:13).

Lord God, I am so thankful for your willingness to forgive me. I know that on my own there is nothing I can do to ever be right with you because my sin has come between us. I also know that because of your great love, your tender mercy and your marvelous grace, you have provided a way of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus your Son. As your child, help me live every moment of every day in a way that brings honor to you and shows Jesus living in me. Give your peace to those who are hurting and grieving. I pray in the name of Jesus my Savior.

He Will Cover You With His Feathers

I wonder if there are times when God would like to have comforted us “under his wings” but instead of coming to Him, we depended on our own resources. When He covers us, the forces of evil cannot penetrate His protection.

God’s wings provide safety and refuge. In Psalm 17:8 David asked the Lord to hide him in the shadow of His wings, protecting him from danger and attack. I may not have physical enemies attacking me but Satan is continually attacking me with fears, despair, discouragement, and countless other negative thoughts. When I cry out to God for His protection, His Word and Spirit are my refuge.

If you are experiencing pressures or satan’s attacks in your life today, just ask the Lord in faith to help you. Say, “God, you said you’d be my refuge!” If you’ve run out of strength , remember that he is your strength. Now you have to run to him! Begin by praising him right now for loving you and for being all that you need. Thank God that he is greater than every problem you may encounter. Tell him, “Thank you, Lord, for who you are!” Then trust him to be your refuge and your strength, at this very moment in your life.

Father, what words can I offer that are sufficient to thank and praise you for your deliverance that is greater than death? You are the Alpha and the Omega. You are the God who was and is and is to come. You are my Abba Father, who has adopted me and made me your own. I place my trust, my hope, and future in you and I will not be afraid. I find my refuge under your wings! All praise to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Lead Me Lord

93c52241b7900ec116164b26152a50a8

From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2

One thing I love about reading through the book of Psalms is that each Psalm usually begins with a heavy heart, and ends in praise and rejoicing. Psalm 61 is no exception.

If you’re in need of some encouragement this week, just remember, God hears you when you cry, and when you’re overwhelmed; all you need to do is talk to Him. He will lead you and protect you!

Lord, when my heart is overwhelmed, overwhelm me with Your peace. Lead me to You, my rock. Guide me to Your Word which gives me strength and refuge. Help me not to run to lesser things. Draw me to run to You first. Help me get into the habit of taking my “overwhelmed” and placing it under your will. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen

Search My Heart

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139 23-24

David was a man who loved God with a reckless abandon. His life was a picture of success and failure, and his biblical record shows the fact that David was far from perfect. But what made David a cut above the rest was that his heart was always pointed toward God. He had a deep desire to follow God’s will and do “everything” God wanted him to do. He was a man after God’s own heart. One of the reasons why David is called a man after God’s own heart is that he had absolute faith in God. He was also a prayerful man and God had granted David understanding and wisdom through his daily meditation. We should look to David as a role model and not only read God’s Word but also think about and meditate on it throughout the day, for God loves it when we think about Him. “Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways” (Psalm 119:2–3).

After David sinned, he was always truly repentant. He shows us our first and most important reaction to sin should always be to ask God to search us. There are times when we know that we sinned, but there are also times that we sin and we aren’t even aware of it until it is revealed to us. This is why we need to allow God to search us and “know” our hearts. Let him reveal the sin in your life that you may not even know you have committed.

I want to encourage you today to let the Lord search you. Take the time to ask Him to “know your heart.” We don’t need to spend time walking in the anxiety of our sinful nature. Instead, how much more freeing would it be to release it, trust God with it, allow Him to lead us out of it and in so doing, give us the confidence to know that we are His. Be comforted today in knowing that a sin found, forgiven, and forgotten is a sin you no longer have to concern yourself with.

In conclusion, David was a man after God’s own heart because he demonstrated his faith and was committed to following the Lord. Yes, his faith was tested on a grand scale, and he failed at times. But after his sin he sought and received the Lord’s forgiveness. In the final analysis, David loved God’s Law and sought to follow it exactly. As a man after God’s own heart, David is a role model for all of us.

May God, through our humble confession and prayer, so reveal His Son to us that we can say with the early believers, “We ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world” (John 4:42).

Dear Heavenly Father

Teach me how to align my heart with Yours. I recommit myself as a man/woman after Your heart. I choose to seek Your face (Psalm 27:8). In difficult times, open my heart to receive Your revelation. Hide me in the shelter of your tabernacle (Psalm 27:5). Reveal deeply to my heart Your love for me. Rescue me in the midst of difficult circumstances, and bring me into a spacious place (Psalm 18:19). Teach me to enjoy life the way you desire. I choose to be confident in Your love. I am Your Bride. “I love you, O LORD, my strength” (Psalm 18:1).

Seeking The Lord

34 4

David acknowledged that the Lord is close to those that are humble of heart, and who are ready and willing to seek Him in times of trouble, distress and danger. David was a man who feared God and held fast to His precious promises. All through David’s life he witnessed God’s faithfulness and David trusted in the Lord’s deliverance, when his own, frail heart was fainting.. from fear of what was coming on the earth.

The Lord has promised that if we seek Him, we will find Him, if we search for Him with all our heart.

What a gracious and wonderful God we have.. for while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, and together with David and a cloud of witnesses, we are able to testify: I also sought the LORD, and He answered me. And He delivered me from all my fears. –

Yes, we can rejoice and say with all the saints: I will bless the LORD at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD. The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. I will bless the LORD at all times.. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD. The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together!

Heavenly Father, You are worthy to be praised and I will bless You at all times. I will boast in the Lord, for I sought after You and You heard my cry and answered me. You have redeemed my life from the bondage of the evil one, and delivered me from all my fears. You have forgiven my sin and clothed me in Christ’s own righteousness, for His name’s sake – and You alone are worthy of my praise and thanksgiving forever and ever. my Father and my God, I will seek you with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I want to know you more completely. I want to fully respond to your leading and your will in my life. Be near me today and always. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.