⁹ Hide your face from my sins
       and blot out all my iniquity.

 ¹⁰ 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.

— Psalm 51:9-12

The other morning I woke up feeling very unsettled. I knew something was off. And I don't share this to make myself seem more than I am. Quite the opposite actually, but that day, my feet didn't hit the floor.

My knees did.

I knew I was not right with God. I'd let the business that is the norm for me this time of year to crowd Him out. And as I knelt, I felt the nudge to pray for God to restore the joy of His salvation to me.

Then, to top it off and to make sure I truly understood He was the one who wanted my attention, the Upper Room booklet used Psalm 51 for that day's devotional.

I love it when God makes it clear He's very present and very aware of what's going on inside my life and in my heart. Even in His discipline, His intense love and caring are clear.

I'm not where I'd like to be. I still need to calm the clamor of deadlines and agendas to fully refocus. But what reassurance to know that even as David wrote down this Psalm, God knew I would need it, too.

We serve an incomprehensible God who pursues and adores us even when we forget Him. How great is He?

Praying and believing,
Dineen