Restore joy
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. ~ Psalm 51:12 (NRSV)
You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. ~ John 16:20b (NLT)
SUMMARY SENTENCE:
Be encouraged because the joy from God will prevail over the sadness.
PRAYER:
Loving God, I take comfort in the fact that you understand grief and sorrow. Jesus died. I am too often allowing the sorrows of life to overwhelm and control me. Refresh my faith so that the joy which flows out of your salvation prevails. I'm going to celebrate the coming good news that overshadows the grief. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
