Clean Me Up: Create, Renew, Restore!

Psalms 51:10-12 (KJV) Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

I don’t know about you but is there anybody in the house today that could use a big burst of joy in their lives? I’m not talking about that temporary stuff. No I’m not talking about happiness or being happy because to me happiness only last as long as whatever it is making you happy. For example, I was happy when I received my stimulus check. But that happiness didn’t last long because I soon found the check was already spent before I could get it to the bank. So my happiness quickly turned into sorrow. No I’m not talking about happiness. I get happy when they play my favorite song on the radio. But that happiness is soon over after the song has ended. No I’m not talking about being happy.

You see, happiness is like eating a handful of sugar. Happiness is like taking a big sip of a slushy. You’ll get a real good rush initially, but when the thrill is gone, all you’re left with is a terrible headache. Somebody thought they found happiness in a boy, but when the thrill was gone, he was just a bad headache. Someone thought they found happiness in a girl, but when the thrill was gone, she just turned out to be a real bad headache. Somebody thought that new car would be the answer for happiness, but when the payments kept coming in month after month, and your $20 didn’t do nothing but wet the tank, that new car turned out to be a real expensive headache.

That’s why some of yall can’t come here and get your praise on because your head hurts too bad from all of the things and stuff that was suppose to bring you happiness, but instead all it brought you was pain and heartache.

Oh, but let me tell you, joy is different. When you have joy, you have invisible strength. You can have joy even when things are not going your way. You can have joy even in the midst of storms and tribulations. Joy to the believer is something that can be constant because the believer realizes where their joy comes from. It doesn’t come from houses and cars. It doesn’t come from money and food. It doesn’t come from boys and girls. Yeah, the believers’ joy doesn’t come from material things, but our joy comes from the Lord.

But what happens when we lose this joy. And I question us today – if it is even possible for us to lose our joy? Well my brothers and sisters, I would have to answer that question with a resounding Yes. It’s possible for even the best of us to lose our joy. It’s possible for even those of us who have been created after God’s own heart to lose our joy. I remember minister Mary testifying about her joy being dropped and all she had to do is pick it back up. And that’s all it means to lose your joy. Another word for lose is dropped. Another word for lose is misplace.

Oh but I also found out that to lose something means to be defeated. When you lose something it means you were beaten. And by the looks of things, that’s what a lot of us are today, defeated and beaten (What you talking bout Newhouse). Well I don’t have to look too hard, I can just look at your praise. I don’t have to look too hard; I can just look at your worship. (Oh, oh, I better watch out). You see the way you praise and worship can tell a lot about what you are made of. Just by looking at your praise and worship, one can tell if you’re winning or losing.

I know it may be hard for you right now, but somehow you have to find a way to praise anyway (tell someone to find an anyway praise). Stop worrying about whose sitting next to you or around you. They don’t know your situation. They don’t know what you stand in need of. They don’t know how bad you need a breakthrough. I bet if you find a way to praise, you’ll soon find your joy. If you find a way to praise while in the bad, your bad will start to look better. Your anyway praise will not only psyche you out, but you’ll also psyche out the enemy.

The score may be the enemy 10 to your 1, but just by you throwing up holy hands anyway. Just by you singing your song anyway. Just by you shouting glory halleluiah anyway. Just by you doing your victory dance anyway. Just give God an anyway praise and nobody will ever guess that the enemy has been trying to whoop your butt all week long, all because you know how to give God an anyway praise! (Tell somebody to find away to praise Him – Anyway!)