Joy Unspeakable

Many of you might know that I spent 3-1/2 years in prison. Yep, it’s true. I served as a law enforcement chaplain. I could come and go anytime I wanted. I will never forget meeting an ancient chaplain in a jail in Atlanta. He looked at me and I promise you the first thing he said to me was, “Son, never smile in this job.”

I thought, “That is the saddest thing I have ever heard in my life.” If we lose hope, if we lose the joy of the Gospel, then there is no reason to keep going. I simply smiled at the chaplain, hugged him and said, “It’s going to be all right” and then I walked away.

If you have lost the joy of being a Christian or if you feel you have lost that connection with God, then take a second today to look at yourself in the mirror, smile and say, “Thank you Jesus. I know everything is going to be all right.” Better yet, find a quiet place, kneel before the Lord and with a sincere heart, pray as David did in Psalm 51:12:

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

If you have lived as a Christian for any length of time then you know we all go through those seasons in our lives where we don’t “feel” saved. First off, salvation has nothing to do with how you feel or don’t feel. It is simply a matter of faith, period. Whether it is the demands of life or sin that has God seemingly at a distance, the only way to get your life back on the straight and narrow path is to be transparent with God.

Confess your apathy, your disobedience, your transgression, or whatever it is that stands between you and Christ. Ask Him to restore unto you the joy you once had when you experienced your first love, Jesus Christ.

Category: Hope, Scripture