I want to try something different for this particular study. Let’s swap different definitions of “joy” in place of the word “joy” itself and see if we can get a deeper understanding of that particular scripture.
Psalm 30:5
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
For his anger endureth but a moment…but [gladness], [exhilaration], [joy] cometh in the morning.
Wow! Those changes in those few words practically breathe life into the scripture! “Weeping may endure for the night…” may signify a troublesome season or a time filled with trials, but, guess what? There is hope! Gladness, exhilaration and jubilation will come shortly (in the morning).
Psalm 51:12
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
According to my research (2 Samuel 11, 12:1-25), David wrote this psalm after his sin with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, the Hittite. He saw this beautiful woman bathing herself and he coveted (desired) her so badly that he called for her and committed adultery with her while her husband Uriah, was fighting in the battlefield for his country.
She became pregnant and sent word to David about her pregnancy. David first tried to manipulate Uriah into going home to his wife for a couple of days, (David thinking surely Uriah and his wife would have sex) so that it would appear that the baby would be his (Uriah’s) After those attempts did not work due to Uriah’s loyalty to the army, David had Uriah placed in the forefront of the battle where he knew the man would be killed. Of course, his plan worked and Uriah was killed in battle. After the “mourning” period passed, David took Bathsheba to be his wife and the baby conceived in adultery died in childbirth.
Tragic story, right? Well later there was a happy ending, but for that you will have to wait until another Bible Study topic. 
Anyway, so we see here that David was attempting to cover his original sin (adultery) twice with another sin (manipulation and eventually manipulation with second-degree murder). God reproved him through the prophet Nathan. Thus, the entire Psalm 51 chapter was his prayer for cleanliness.
Getting back to Psalm 51:12, “Restore unto me, the joy of thy salvation.” David did not just want to have his salvation returned; he wanted the very [gladness], and [contentment] of just being saved. In other words, just the very thought of being saved ought to be enough to make us glad. Just think God chose (predestined) us to be saved and to do His will and His work.
If God never did anything else for us again in our entire lives, we ought to be content in our salvation alone. Is that level of contentment in salvation alone easy? By no means, because our flesh wants more and is in fact insatiable. However, that level of contentment is necessary if we are to continue to grow.
More to follow…
