mediasalt

Photo taken and post written during my holiday travels throughout Georgia and North Carolina.

Psalm 51:9-12 (ESV)

Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Remember the joy, the fire, and the enthusiasm you had when you made the decision to follow Christ?  Somehow, as time passes, it seems to disappear like the excitement children have for last year’s Christmas present.  What happened to the zeal that consumed you so greatly you felt you could “charge the gates of hell with a water pistol?”  How do you get it back?

As I write this devotion I’m looking out at a picturesque view in the mountains of Georgia.  Every New Years my wife and I get together with good friends for several days of relaxation, board gaming, good eating, and spiritual restoration.

I begin each new year by spending time with God in prayer and reading his word.  I thank him for the past year’s blessings and learning experiences.  I also pray specifically for each area of my life in the upcoming year, acknowledging I am nothing without his direction in my life – work and personal.  Finally, much like David pleads in Psalms 51, I ask God to forgive my sins, cleanse my heart for the new year, direction from his Holy Spirit, and restore the joy of my salvation.

It never fails.  God honors my prayer.  I start each new year recharged and restored.

What God did in your life and in my life is a powerful thing.  The more we are reminded of our initial response when we devoted our lives to him, the joy of our salvation, the more awareness we have for those around us who do not have a personal relationship with Christ — re-adjusting our ministry focus.

Before you get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of what the new year will bring I encourage you to start 2010 with a prayer and ask God to restore to you the joy of your salvation – a new year’s restoration.