In this Psalm King David expresses his sorrow for sinning against God. David had committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and then caused Uriah’s death. When David realized the gravity of what he had done, he expressed his repentant attitude in this Psalm.
David had lost God’s favor, and David wanted to return to God’s good graces. David realized what he had lost and could lose and said the following to God: “Do not cast me away from Thy presence and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation.”
David had lost the joy he had felt by being close to God. He didn’t like the new feeling of being estranged from God. That is the consequence of sin.
Sin removes us from God. The Bible says that God will not draw near to sinners. God will not hear their prayers, nor will He bless them. Those who do not believe in God don’t realize how wonderful their lives could be if they believed. They have never experienced being close to God.
Those who have experienced being close to God and the joy that it brings do not want to lose it. They soon realize that this joy can be lost when they sin. Therefore, they become very motivated to avoid sin in their lives. That is a good thing. That is part of the sanctification process.
