WHEN GOD SEEMS FAR AWAY, HE CAN RESTORE ALL THAT HAS BEEN BROKEN!

BBIBLE PASSAGE:
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)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever had a time in your life when you suddenly felt you
were far away from God? It can be an unsettling experience that
can open the door for Satan to take advantage of us.

He likes to plant thoughts in our minds like,
    “You are not good enough to be close to God”
    “You have finally crossed the line in your relationship with God”
    “God has abandoned you as a result of your failures”

The Psalmist was described as “a man after God’s heart”.
    After removing Saul, he made David their king.
    God testified concerning him: ‘I have found
    David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;
    he will do everything I want him to do.’
    (Acts 13:22)

And yet, he also experienced a time when his sin made him feel distanced
from the God he loved. In Psalm 51, we see Him pouring his heart out to
God. David didn’t blame anyone else for his failures, nor did he feel the
Lord’s boundaries were unreasonable.

David knew ‘he’ was the problem and he wanted to be ‘fixed’. So he
made his petition to God for his restoration. He asked for a ‘pure heart’,
a ‘renewed spirit’, a ‘willing spirit’ and a renewed ‘joy of God’s salvation’.

We can almost sense the agony in David as he pleaded with God to
‘not cast him aside’ due to his failures, and to ‘not take away God’s
Holy Spirit’. David knew where he was and what he felt would restore
his relationship with God, but he also knew where he should go to get
the help he needed.

He didn’t like where his decisions had taken him in his life and he
wanted to change! There is a line in a song that says,
    “Down isn’t so bad, When it gets you looking
      up at life To see where you’ve been now, And
      don’t wanna be there again”
David had a desire to “look up” to the One who could change him.

ACTION:
Have you ever had feelings similar to David’s? Maybe you have
been floundering trying to find a way to restore your relationship
with God. If so, then learn from the psalmist and humbly go to
God with a repentant attitude.

Just saying the same things David said is not the solution if your
heart is not sincere. It requires a total resolve on your part to turn
from whatever has taken you farther away from God, and having
a willingness to return to the path that nourishes your relationship
with Him.

Does that mean you will have to make some changes? Of course,
it does! When the Lord answers our prayer, we need to be willing
to think of His commands as serious guidelines for living a more
righteous life of following His Son, Jesus.

Along with the things we should avoid, God also gives us instructions
on the things we should be doing. Things like loving others, being kind,
showing hospitality, having self-control, showing patience, being gentle,
tithing, meeting with other believers, etc.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father I know that when You seem further away
it is a result of my behavior and attitudes. Forgive me for my
failures and my sins against You. Restore in me the joy of Your
salvation and help me to embrace Your Holy Spirit within me.
Thank You for Jesus who went to the cross for me so that I
could have an intimate relationship with You, with Him, and
with the Holy Spirit.”

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