Delight: Devotions for Finding JoySample

Psalm 118 describes a king’s victorious return after battle. The psalmist made it clear that God won the battle—but the victory wasn’t easy for them. He wrote about being in distress (v. 5), being hated (v. 7), surrounded (v. 10), and pushed (v. 13). In verse 18, he even talked about how severely the Lord disciplined him.

In spite of all of this, his praise in verse 24 is one of the most well known: “This is the day the Lord has made, let’s rejoice and be glad in it!” In spite of being distressed, hated, surrounded by his enemies, pushed and disciplined by God—the psalmist still chose to delight in the Lord.

So far, we have learned that joy comes from seeking God first, and is nourished by faith, continued through our relationship with God and enriched by worship. Today, we learn a new and necessary truth: Joy is a choice. Like the psalmist, we must choose to have joy, even in tough times. 

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