Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
There's going to be times where we all find ourselves running on empty, and we start to find ourselves in a place of disobedience. We know what God is calling us to, to be spending time in the Word, to be praying, to be serving others, to be worshiping, and to be loving our neighbors. But we just don't have the energy to do it. We start to pull back and we end up getting stuck in a rut. It begs the question, what do I do next? How do I get out of this place?
Not About Trying Harder
If you're feeling drained in life, if you feel like you're just in a place of disobedience with God, I want to encourage you with our Verse of the Day.
It comes from Psalm chapter 51, verse 12. "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You."
If you've fallen off the rails when it comes to following Jesus, I want to let you know that the answer is not try harder and do better. Sometimes that feels like what we're supposed to do, that we're supposed to just pick ourselves up by our bootstraps. The problem with that saying is it doesn't make sense. Nobody can pick themselves up by their own bootstraps. What can we do instead?
Well, this Psalm is actually a very powerful psalm because it's not just any old Psalm. David wrote this surrounding the time that the prophet Nathan came to him to confront him about committing adultery with Bathsheba. This is the lowest point in David's life. He is broken. He is scared at how far he's strayed from God, and he doesn't turn to starting to do more things. He doesn't lean into religious morality.
Back to Where It Started
David finds something much more powerful to reignite his passion. He asks God to bring him back to where it all started. To restore to him the joy of his salvation. To remind him that God had started this relationship and God was going to be the one that sustained it and brought him through these difficult times. Remembering his salvation was what was going to lead David back into obedience.
His obedience wasn't forced because he knew he had to. It was obedience out of a place of love, obedience out of a place of gratitude and thanksgiving, knowing that the Lord's ways were the best ways for him.
The Role of Remembering
See, disciplines have a very real role in our lives as believers. I don't want you to think otherwise. It's important for us to commit ourselves, even in times that we don't want to. But honestly, it's really helpful to ask ourselves, well, in the times that I don't want to do these things, why is that? I think in most cases, or at least many cases, it's because we get into a moment like this. We've lost that joy and remembering what salvation really is.
The good news that God sent His only Son to die for our sins, to buy us back with His blood so that we could have new life. Life more abundant with Him forever. Man, when I remind myself of this truth, I can't help but jump back in to say, God, Your ways are so much higher and better than my ways. Restore to me the joy of my salvation, so that I might be willing to obey You.
If you're struggling in your faith right now, I want you to know we're praying for you. But more importantly, God is with you. God saved you. It's that same power that saved you that's going to sustain you and spur you on into joyful obedience in life with Christ.
