Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12)
Storms that stir up chaos in our lives are inevitable. I often remind our congregation that all of us are either in the middle of a storm, or we’re coming out of a storm, or we’re on the verge of going back into another storm. Chaos is simply a part of life on this side of the grave. Yet even when we are right in the middle of seasons of chaos, we find great comfort because of the One who is with us in every storm we face.
Our passage today comes from David’s prayer of repentance after he was confronted by the prophet Nathan. You may remember that David slept with another man’s wife, got her pregnant, tried to cover it up, and when that didn’t work, he ordered for her husband to be killed on the battlefield. This whipped up a storm that wreaked havoc in David’s life and the lives of many others, and David was the one fully responsible for it all.
This is not always the case. To be sure, some storms are a result of our sinful rebellion, but others are simply a result of the brokenness in our world and the people around us. But either way, chaos will come, and the only way to get through it is to cry out to Christ for the comfort only He can bring.
David’s plea for forgiveness was a plea for comfort. David’s plea for mercy was a plea for comfort. David’s plea for cleansing was a plea for comfort. And what was “comfort” for David? It was the restoration of the joy of salvation. Do you remember when you were first saved? Do you remember the overwhelming joy you experienced? If you were saved as a child and do not remember a particular experience, surely you can remember a time when you knew the joy of salvation — the joy of walking with God through the details of your life.
So if you find yourself in a storm of your own making, do like David did and confess your sins! That will set you on the path to restoring the joy of your salvation. And if you find yourself in a storm that God simply sent for your good and His glory, do like David did and ask that God would grant you a willing spirit to rise above the waves of challenge, knowing that God is sustaining you through chaos into comfort.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 