Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. (Psalm 51:12-13)
This is our memory verse in Community Bible Reading (www.joincbr.com) for this week. I have it taped up on my computer at work and as I was looking at it this morning it struck me that so often you see the first verse, but that the following verse is left out. Actually, more often that not, it is just the beginning of the first verse: Restore to me the joy of your salvation! Why? For the good of me, right? Wrong! Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Wait, I have to work? It's amazing that we forget that part of it. I know that I do. Most days, I'm content knowing that I have the joy of His salvation. I don't really want to think about having a willing spirit and certainly don't want to think about teaching transgressors your ways. Am I really that selfish? Apparently, the answer is "yes." These are the kinds of things that we need to check ourselves on. And it would seem that I am coming up lacking. Luckily, it isn't completely up to me. This is where the second part of verse 12 comes in: ...and uphold me with a willing spirit. It isn't our spirit after all. We are being upheld by His spirit. Once we know what to ask for it doesn't make the task seem as daunting. Of course, the only way to know is to read intently. (I'll just add that to the list of things that I want to improve that keeps growing longer...) Feel free to comment and/or add insight.
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