Sin Disheartens

“Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.”
Psalm 51:8 (NIV)

God wants to bless your heart with joy and gladness. And it begins by healing any sin that may be crushing you.

King David knew what it was like to feel crushed. He loved God, and God Himself referred to David as “a man after His own heart” (Acts 13:22). Perhaps that is why David was so devastated by his hidden sin of adultery and murder. His heart was crushed over what sin had done to his relationship with the God he loved.

When something happens to you that is completely devastating, you might say, “I was just crushed.” That is what David meant in Psalm 51:8 when he prayed, “Let the bones You have crushed rejoice.” Because of his sin, David no longer experienced joy and gladness in God’s presence. Instead, he felt grief and consequences.  

Sin always brings sadness and misery into the life of a believer. Grief and anguish from sin can surface in your own heart and in your relationships. But there is a remedy that can restore you to joy and gladness. 

Even though there were others who lived with the knowledge of his sin, David alone had to live with the guilt of his sin. For a year David had been in spiritual solitary confinement.

But you can allow God to deal with your sin. You don’t have to allow your heart to be crushed. Admit your sin, and simply come clean about it. God will cleanse you and you can rejoice again. 

Come to Him. The Holy Spirit will restore your heart to joy and release your spirit into gladness. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I desire a healthy relationship with You. Examine my heart and my ways, and cleanse me from my sin. And restore me to the joy of my salvation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.