January 28, 2026

The Vital Sign of Joy

In yesterday’s devotional, I challenged you to consider whether God needs to do a work in your life to revive you spiritually. Perhaps you feel it, but you just don’t know what it is.

Over the next few days, I want to point you to the vital signs that may indicate the need for spiritual revival in your life. The first one we find in Psalm 85. It is lack of joy. Look at the language in verse 6,

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?

When a person is sullen and depressed spiritually, cheerless and despondent, it is a sure sign that they need revival.

You might say, “Well, you know, if my circumstances would just change, then I would rejoice.” No. Joy is not dependent upon your circumstances. In fact, let me give you a great example.

2 Corinthians 8:1–2 states,

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

Notice this language. The Macedonians were not in a little trial. They were in a “great trial of affliction.” They were experiencing deep poverty, tremendous lack in their life, and yet they had abundant joy.

What was their secret? Living in the grace of God.

More than anything else, joy is dependent upon understanding the grace of God, knowing that God’s grace is at work even in your affliction.

If you are joyless today, ask the Spirit of God to fill your heart. If you do, there will be a joy regardless of what you are facing.

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