Pursue Joy

Ruth

Restore to me the joy of your salvation.

—Psalm 51:12

For many people, living each day with joy is a struggle. We often wait or hope joy will come to us, but the Bible tells us to be joyful and be glad in God. But joy is something we pursue, not something that pursues us.

So how can we pursue joy? We will never truly experience real and lasting joy apart from pursuing our Father, who loves us and delights in us. And we pursue Him by eliminating that which comes between us. Biblical joy is the fruit of walking with God. It is a byproduct of an intimate and growing relationship with the Father, through Jesus, by the power of His Spirit. We can’t have one without the other. When we pursue and enjoy God for who He is, the Holy Spirit produces joy in us.

But it is a joy that must be protected and cultivated. Lots of things in life can steal our joy. Psalm 51 is a great reminder of an often overlooked thief of joy: sin. Raw and honest, in Psalm 51, King David confessed his sin. His guilt had grabbed his joy because his sin had come between him and his God.

David cried out, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12). Sin disrupts the joy we experience when walking humbly and faithfully with God. Willful and unconfessed sin in our lives, whether it be our attitudes or actions, interferes with the intimate relationship we are intended to have with God.

Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.” God wants to give us life and fill us with His joy. While our sin doesn’t sever our relationship, it does disrupt our intimacy and the experience of God’s abundant joy.

Is it possible that your struggle for joy is really a struggle of the heart? What if God wants to begin cultivating more joy in your life, not by changing your circumstances, but through confession?

Today ask God to search your heart, revealing any sinful desires that might be stealing your joy. Pursue God. Seek His presence. And watch how He produces joy in you!

Father, restore unto me the joy of Your salvation. Search and know me. Reveal any sin that might be stealing my joy. Fill me with Your presence that I might increasingly experience the abundant life You offer me in Jesus. In Your name I pray, amen.

Where do you struggle the most with joy?

What sin do you need to confess that might be stealing your joy?