Joy And Gladness

David teaches us what all believers discover in this life: iniquity curtails our spiritual joy and unconfessed sin deprives the soul of fellowship with the Lord. This was David’s experience. It seems likely David had not known the joy of the Lord for some time, perhaps a year. For sure, the Lord never wholly removes His Spirit from a believer or cuts him off from union with Christ, nevertheless, the felt gladness of grace can be lost. When the Holy Spirit convinced David of his sin the beloved psalmist began to feel the cold state of his soul.

A false façade 

No doubt the King of Israel had gone through the motions of regular religious duty, worshipping at the ark with formal offerings and public sacrifice. The outward smile hid a heavy heart. David’s soul was sad and his fellowship with the Lord was broken. In his apathy David may not even have realised the happiness of peace was gone. His sin was forgiven in Christ but a full sense of forgiveness was not felt. David acknowledged his fall and pleaded for mercy but joy would not be his until the Saviour’s cleansing was applied.

The heart of joy

All sin is offensive to our Father but God’s children are highly blessed to know and believe the gracious gospel teaching of imputed righteousness and Christ’s suretyship for all our transgressions. Paul says, Blessed, or happy, is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Romans 4:8). Yet a believer overtaken in a fault may feel great agony of soul for a time; a brokenness and a shame for sins committed. David interpreted these miseries as being from the Lord and asked that they may be lifted as part of his restoration to full fellowship.

Creating grace

David sought the creation of a clean heart and renewal of a right spirit. By this the prophet-king teaches us how fresh applications of grace require the same almighty power as first produced quickening in a believer’s soul. There is earnestness and urgency in David’s prayer. Perhaps he remembered how Saul had been rejected by God. Perhaps he recalled others who seemed to have a good testimony yet now were far removed from the Lord. He pleads with the Saviour not to cast him away.

Bare promises

David’s awareness of the Holy Spirit’s work in a believer’s life is evident. David’s faith endured despite the great sins he had committed. He asks that the Holy Spirit be not taken from him, implying the Spirit was still with him and crediting the Spirit with his desire for mercy. In the process of spiritual recovery David was resting on the bare promises of God while pleading for the restoration of their felt comfort. Salvation cannot be lost but the joy of salvation may be.

A spiritual fruit

In the New Testament much is made of a believer’s joy and fulness of joy. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and a product of faith. Believers rejoice or ‘joy’ in believing. Spiritual joy is not the same joy that the world seeks after. Believers count it a joy to be tried and even to suffer for Christ. There is a joy which is unspeakable and full of glory. The joy of faith is our confident hope in the accomplishments of Christ. There is settled peace in trusting the rich and gracious promises of God. 

Our source of joy

As with all our spiritual blessings each believer ultimately traces their joy and gladness to the provisions of God in Christ. In Him all God’s promises are Yea and Amen. In union with Him we are heirs of every happiness, all joy and gladness. Yet, in this world the evil one is eager to rob God’s people of our joy and peace by stirring up fleshy passions, tempting us to sin and causing us to fall. For this reason the gospel is so important. Our minds must frequently be brought back to God’s sovereign mercy, Christ’s cleansing blood and the Holy Spirit’s renewing grace. 

A pattern for restoration

David’s prayer, as Jonah’s after him, includes a re-commitment to service. While this is commendable we should be careful what we promise to the Lord, for we are weak. Yet David, speaking prophetically by the Holy Ghost, knew his recovery from failure would prove to be a helpful guide to others who also would fall into sin and periodically lose their sense of peace and joy. David’s request was granted and his testimony has indeed proved to be a comfort to us all.

Amen.