Daily Devotional
FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: JOY
March 10 - 14, 2025
Monday, March 10
The True Source of Joy
By Danny Saavedra
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“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”—Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
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Did you know in the Book of Philippians, a short, 104-verse letter, Paul uses the words "joy" and "rejoice" 16 times? The interesting thing about that directive is that Paul was writing it to the Philippians from jail. He had also been beaten, whipped, stoned nearly to death, shipwrecked, gone hungry, been persecuted, and much more. So, how is it that this man could sit in prison, having endured so much, and say, “Rejoice in the Lord always!”?
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Because unlike happiness, joy isn’t based on circumstances. Joy also doesn’t come from within you. It doesn’t come from what you do; it doesn’t come from finding yourself, accepting yourself, or focusing on yourself. It doesn’t come from doing what makes you happy, following your bliss, or living your best life. These are all things we’ve been told by our culture, the movies, the media, celebrities, self-help gurus, etc. And, friends, if I can be blunt, these are all lies straight from the mouth of the enemy meant to keep us striving and searching in this endless and empty pursuit.
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Do __, buy __, have ___ enhancement surgery, marry ___, identify as ___ . . . and then you’ll have joy. It’s all just carrots being dangled on a rope in front of us promising joy that will always be just out of reach. And despite our best efforts, we’ll never find joy in ourselves or the things of this world. Why? Because genuine joy finds its source in God alone.
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Look again at the text. Paul says “Rejoice in the Lord.” The word in the Greek we translate as rejoice is chairete. There are two key things to note about this word: 1) This word isn’t passive, it’s active. It’s a verb. It’s not simply something you feel, it’s something you do! It requires intentionality. And here’s why: 2) The root word found within the chairete is charis, which is the word we translate as GRACE, meaning undeserved favor, kindness, and gift of God.
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Did you see that? The root of joy is grace. In fact, the literal dictionary definition of chairete, of joy, is to LEAN TOWARD GRACE. So joy, in its simplest, most basic definition, means to lean into God’s grace, to live with this constant awareness of the grace of God in Christ and to press into it.
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The apostle Paul is telling us that even in the most difficult, dangerous, painful, and uncertain times in our lives, God’s grace is sufficient to sustain and satisfy us; to change us and fill us with delight as we press into Him. This is important to remember and to be reminded of every day, which is why Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always” and then declares “I will say it again: Rejoice!”
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Why the repeated emphasis? Why counsel us 16 times in 104 verses to lean into God’s grace? Because we’re prone to forgetting! We get caught up in the cares of this world, we get stuck in our own little world, we fall into the traps of striving and works, and we can fall prey to the cultural lies that if I have _____ then I’ll find joy. This means it takes intentional effort to walk in joy by devoting ourselves daily to pressing into the Lord and relying on His grace, goodness, love, peace, and power to fill us with delight and satisfy us!
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Pause: How is it possible to always rejoice?
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Practice: Consider where this truth gets tested in your life and how this passage can help you to overcome those tests.
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Pray: Lord, I choose to fix my focus, not on the things of this world that are happening all around me, but on who You are and on all You have provided for me in You. Help me maintain this perspective and not get distracted by the things that would move me from true joy. Teach me to press into Your grace and find delight in You. And produce in me the fruit of joy that can be seen and experienced by others so they may come to know the joy of Your salvation. Amen.
Tuesday, March 11
Anchor In the Waves
By Deb Marsalisi
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“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”—Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
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I love that David penned some of the most beautiful and poetic psalms in the midst of his deepest struggles. David’s life was far from easy. It was filled with grief and war. There were trials, failings, and cries for God’s protection. Even as king, he experienced enormous highs and devastating lows.
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Psalm 16 is titled, “Miktam of David.” Some scholars speculate the word Miktam translated means golden or something of great value. Others reference Miktam as a musical composition written to be sung in times of trouble or anguish. Taking that into consideration, we, too, can lean on this psalm for great hope and comfort in times of trouble.
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You make known to me the path of life: Like us, David knew his life was in the palm of God’s hand. Jesus is intimately acquainted with every detail of our lives. We can lean on Him for direction and guidance in all we do. There are many life paths we can take in this crazy world, but following Jesus is the only path that leads to life. Jesus says “ I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV). Jesus also said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25 ESV). Even in suffering and hardship, the expectation of resurrection becomes our anchor in the waves. The apostle Peter uses this psalm to teach us about our future resurrection (Acts 2:24–31). Resurrection unto eternal life is the beautiful inheritance we’ve been given on our path with Jesus.
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In your presence there is fullness of joy: David writes this psalm after King Saul tries to kill him. He knew fullness of joy is not based on circumstances. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). In the presence of God’s Spirit there is peace and overflowing joy. We’re invited to abide in His joy no matter how hard our circumstances become.
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At your right hand are pleasures forevermore: We’re encouraged to take assurance in the Lord’s right hand. The Bible uses this phrase to describe the Lord’s power, might, and deliverance. Jesus is mighty to save and deliver us from this fallen world. I think Charles Spurgeon said it best when he said, “We are also told that heaven is to be enjoyed at the right hand of God. The right hand, even on earth, is the place of favor, and the place of honor, and the place of security. The right-hand place is always regarded as the place of dignity and nobility in all courts. God is not going to give his people any left-handed heaven, but they are to dwell at his right hand for evermore.” Yes and Amen to that!
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This Miktam is of great value. Let the truth of Psalm 16 wash over you in times of troubles, finding the confidence in the Lord as David did.
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Pause: Have you experienced the fullness of joy in the presence of the Lord?
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Practice: Read and meditate on Psalm16.
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Pray: Dear Lord, like David, I want fullness of joy in the midst of my struggles. Thank You for the holy inheritance of eternal life with You. Thank You for the honor and dignity Your right hand provides to me. Amen.
Wednesday, March 12
How to Have Joy
By Gabi Bemis
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“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”—John 15:11 (CSB)
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There is something quite mesmerizing about watching a bucket of water spill over. Once the water reaches the rim, there is this constant pouring and nearly instant rupture through the edges and outward—like a waterfall spilling over the edge of a cliff. The same image can be used to describe Jesus’ desire for His followers—a life so full of joy it floods over and outward from our hearts.
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Earlier in this passage, Jesus speaks to His disciples about fruit, branches, a gardener, and keeping commandments. His words are so filled with loving care for His disciples on their last night together, and His message to them is astounding, yet simple: remain.
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The word remain can mean several things. One variation can be to dwell or lodge. Another can mean to remain constantly present; to be rooted. Jesus is announcing to His followers that if they wish to do anything in this life, it must be done from a place of dwelling and remaining present to His presence; to be rooted in Him. We can suppose that if one of His final instructions to His students was to work and obey from a place of abiding, then there is also a place from which we can work and obey that is not rooted, present, or united with God.
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And don’t we know that all too well? The hustle and hurry of our culture leads us into a life of multitasking, distraction and busyness that leave us exhausted, no time to connect with others because we’re restlessly striving to accomplish and do more, and most of all, not having real time with God. Jesus is reminding His disciples then and today that there is a way to follow Him that leads to joy, and that path is to remain connected to the vine—the source of our life, joy, and peace—moment by moment.
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Being rooted in Christ and working from a place of union with the Trinity does for us what our own striving can never do. The disciples didn’t know then what we have full access to now—that when we work from a place of abiding (knowing who we are in Christ, what His grace has purchased for us, and what we’ve inherited because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection), we are freed from the pressure to perform in order to obtain approval from others and God. And this leads to our utmost joy—a gladness and excitement we can’t help but spill over into every relationship and area of our lives.
Imagine what our everyday tasks, our pursuit of godliness, our relationship with God and others, our days, and ultimately every sphere of our lives would look like if we abided, obeyed, and rejoiced in such a way that no person or thing would remain untouched by the happiness that overflowed from our soul! What a world that would be! May the joy we have in Christ be a stream of joy as this hymn reminds us:
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Come, thou Fount of every blessing;
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tune my heart to sing thy grace;
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streams of mercy, never ceasing,
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call for songs of loudest praise.
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Pause: Are you living from a place of striving or abiding? Where do you see that most evident in your life?
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Practice: Take a few minutes to engage in a type of prayer called Breath Prayer. As you inhale, repeat the phrase, “Jesus in you,” and as you exhale say, “I abide.” Do this several times until you notice a quiet contentment begin to well up in your heart.
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Pray: Oh Lord, thank You for a love so deep it could reach a sinner like me. I can now love and serve You from a place of rest in who I am in You because of what Jesus Christ has done for me! Holy Spirit, help this truth seep so deeply into my heart that the joy of my salvation would touch everyone around me. Amen.
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Thursday, March 13
Salvation Now and Forever
By Samantha Rodriguez
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“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”—1 Peter 1:8–9 (NIV)
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I want you to think about pregnancy for a second. When a woman is pregnant, there’s a beautiful joy that accompanies her presence and her loved ones. Everyone is filled with excitement and anticipation for the life growing inside of her. Although they haven’t seen the child yet, they love them. Although they don’t see the child with their own eyes, they believe the child is real and alive in the woman. Sound familiar?
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That’s the same kind of language used in today’s Scripture! In the same way we joyfully anticipate the birth of a baby, we can joyfully anticipate the promise of our salvation in Jesus Christ. In today’s passage, Peter is writing to believers throughout various Roman provinces which he lists in the opening verses. They are most likely Gentile Christians who were being persecuted for their faith. These two verses are in the first part of the letter known as the thanksgiving. He blesses God for the living hope they have in Christ’s resurrection and the inheritance kept securely in heaven for all believers. He encourages them that even through the trials they are suffering, their faith is being refined and the result will glorify God. This leads into verses 8 and 9.
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What is Peter doing here? He’s reminding them of the reason they can withstand such persecution. He’s giving them hope for a future without pain and suffering. As he points them to the future, he also uses present tense verbs to remind them that they’re actively experiencing the fruit of their salvation too. He says, “You . . . are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith” (1 Peter 1:8–9 NIV, emphasis added). This offered them a beautiful hope for the future alongside a secure foundation and sweet gift for today. That’s exactly what we get to walk in today as well!
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When we put our faith in Christ, we’re justified by His blood and forgiveness (Romans 5). Having been justified, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us and sanctify us making us more like Christ and less vulnerable to our sinful flesh (Romans 6). Nonetheless, we’re still imperfect human beings that will struggle with our flesh. That’s why the Holy Spirit is so important and another gracious gift of God to His children. He helps us fight the good fight and continue worshiping God with our lives (Romans 7–8).
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This is what our salvation is. It’s Christ’s justification of us through His blood shed on the cross on our behalf, and it’s His sanctification of us as we commit to following Him for the rest of our lives. Lastly, but certainly not least, our salvation will culminate and be completed on the day we experience glorification. This is the part of our salvation that we eagerly await and hope for. As Paul writes in Romans 8:25 (NIV), “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4 NIV).
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This is where our joy truly stems from—our salvation right now as we stand and walk in it and the guarantee of its completion one day when we’re finally united with Christ forever!
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Pause: Have you considered where your joy comes from? Ask yourself today to think about the hope we have in Christ and in our salvation. Allow your contemplation of those things to fill you with joy that only comes from God’s grace.
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Practice: Take time to write down what each of those three aspects of salvation mean: justification, sanctification, and glorification. They seem like big words but are not as scary as they seem. Think and write about how you have experienced and view them.
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Pray: Gracious and joyful God, You are full of both grace and joy! I desperately need Your grace and joy. If I don’t root myself in You and allow the Holy Spirit to direct me daily in Your truth, then my flesh and the enemy will easily trip me up. I want to take heart in the difficulties surrounding me, so I commit to leaning on Your Spirit and Your truth for grace and joy! Thank You for Your salvation and every aspect of it. You prove Your faithfulness to me time and time again! I love you. Amen.
Friday, March 14
Where Joy Finds Its Value
By Danny Saavedra
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“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”—Philippians 3:7–9 (NIV)
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Everything in this life and world is meaningless and worthless apart from a relationship with Jesus. I cannot stress these words enough. Let me show you . . .
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In the above passage, Paul explains when he came to Christ, the things he saw as valuable were worthless. Everything he once put his security in, everything he believed would bring him fulfillment, everything he found himself striving so hard to achieve and have and be, all the accolades, accomplishments, possessions, morality, and religion, were empty and meaningless.
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Even deeper, Paul says, “I consider them garbage.” The English translators were being a little soft when they translated this word. The word for garbage actually translated as refuse or dung. In the most basic of modern translations, Paul is saying, “I consider everything in this world as a poop emoji” in comparison to the surpassing, superior, excellent worth of knowing Jesus.
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Consider the things we so highly value on a daily basis. For some, it’s our appearance: our physique, muscles, hair, clothes, or shoes. For some, it’s money. What’s my portfolio looking like? What’s my net worth? What does my reputation, job, grades, family, friends, possessions, and pleasures look like?
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Now, are all these things bad? No, of course not! But consider the wisdom found in the Book of Ecclesiastes for a second: “Meaningless! Meaningless . . . Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 1:2 NIV).
Wisdom? Pleasures? Work? Advancement? Riches? Meaningless. King Solomon comes to the conclusion that without God, there is no meaning to life.
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Friends, I pray you walk away from today’s devotion knowing that Jesus is everything! There is no greater joy in this life and nothing more valuable than knowing and living in relationship with Jesus, and everything in life is greater and full of joy in light of a relationship with Jesus!
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Wisdom finds true meaning in light of knowing Jesus. Pleasures such as food, nature, and art become more vibrant and beautiful in Jesus and cause us to give thanks to God for making beautiful things. Work, advancement, and riches find purpose and calling in Jesus. Our relationships, families, marriages, etc. are all made richer and more fulfilling in Jesus and draw us deeper into relationship with Him.
Everything we could ever hope to have, do, enjoy, or gain in this world falls short of and is made better by the eternal, priceless, immeasurable gain of knowing Jesus.
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Look at what the psalmist declares in Psalm 16:11 (ESV): “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
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Friends, everything we’re looking for and longing for in this life can be found in Christ. If you seek to find joy in the things of this world, it will always be elusive, just out of reach, and unattainable. But when you press into the grace of God in Christ and put your hope, security, and purpose in Him, you’ll find true joy, you’ll see those things for what they truly are, and you’ll actually enjoy them in light of knowing Jesus!
Pause: Why did Paul consider everything he once valued as loss and rubbish compared to knowing Jesus? What have you learned about the joy that comes from knowing Him?
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Practice: In your quiet time this week, consider what might be keeping you from knowing Christ in a deeper way. Be honest about areas where you’ve placed a higher value on things, accomplishments, etc. than your relationship with Jesus.
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Pray: Father, I know Your Word tells me everything is meaningless and worthless compared to and apart from knowing Christ Jesus. For the times when I place a higher value on the things of this world, on my desires, accomplishments, pleasure, or even my own merits to earn Your favor and find purpose and meaning in life, I repent and ask You to forgive me. Keep my heart and mind aligned with the truth. Reshape my desires and worldview so I may always rejoice in You above all else. Amen.