Psalm 51:17
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”Psalm 51:10-12
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
TL;DR:
Your past doesn’t define you. If you’re in Christ, you are a new creation, and the joy of salvation is yours to reclaim daily. God honors a broken and contrite heart, not perfection. Let today be a day of restoration, joy, and freedom.
I was baptized as an infant, raised in the church, and confirmed in the 8th grade. I’ve believed in Jesus for as long as I can remember. But life isn’t always a straight road, and mine took a hard turn in junior high. After my childhood fell apart, we moved to Sun Prairie, WI, and into a new family situation that turned into a nightmare.
Out of the pain and confusion, I fell into a deep pattern of sin—one no child should carry, one that begged to be kept secret. But as an adult, something beautiful happened: I realized that I am not the sum of my sins. I am the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Though I’ve always believed in Jesus, it wasn’t until I came to Him with a broken and contrite heart that I truly knew Him as my restorer. That’s what David cries out for in Psalm 51—“Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” And that’s what I cry out for too.
As an adult child of abuse, there are still moments I shrink back, moments I reach for old, destructive coping mechanisms. Sin can be seductive—gluttony, gossip, greed, lust—they all offer momentary relief, but they steal the joy of our salvation.
Today, let’s turn away from what entangles us. Let’s remember who we are in Christ: new creations with hearts that long for purity and joy. Let’s ask God to renew our spirits and restore the joy that only He can give.
Sin is our constant battle, but restoration in Jesus is our constant victory.
Let’s live in that victory today. 🙏❤️😇
#Hashtags:
#RestoreTheJoy #JoyOfSalvation #NewCreation #JesusRestores #Psalm51 #ChristianEncouragement #FaithAfterAbuse #TurnFromSin #HealingInChrist #HolyHealthyHappy