Fixed on Joy

Choosing joy in the downpour—carried by grace, not circumstances.

Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Today’s reflection from A.B. Simpson centers on a spiritual discipline that defies natural emotion: choosing joy even when we don’t feel it. The psalmist reminds us that God rules forever by His power and watches over the nations—nothing escapes His gaze. In the midst of personal battles or global unrest, His throne is secure.

We’re reminded that “reckoning” is more than mental assent—it is the deliberate act of faith to count something as true because God says it is. We’re told to reckon ourselves dead to sin and reckon trials as joy. Even when remnants of the old nature try to stir, we are to count them as lifeless. And when trials press in, we are to rejoice not because the pain is pleasant, but because the outcome is precious.

This is not denial—it is devotion. A willful fixing of the heart: “My heart is fixed, O God; I will sing and give praise.” When that declaration becomes our rhythm, the Holy Spirit gives rise to true and spontaneous joy. Habakkuk’s ancient song echoes this truth: Even if all else fails, still I will rejoice in the Lord.

This kind of joy is not tied to circumstances but to the unshakable love and faithfulness of God. Even if the world collapses around us, His covenant stands unmoved.

✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

I see the thoughts that tempt you, the disappointments that try to bend your will, the weariness that threatens to drain your joy. Yet I remain your steadfast joy—the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I have declared you dead to sin and alive to Me. Do not listen to the echoes of the old life. They have no power unless you hand it back to them. Stand firm in the truth. Reckon yourself as Mine. Reckon your trials as seeds of glory. Reckon your joy as already full in Me.

I am the Lord who watches the nations and keeps covenant with My own. I do not blink or sleep. Nothing moves without My permission, and nothing touches you without passing through My hand of love. Fix your heart on this: I reign, and I live in you.

Your rejoicing is not hollow—it is holy. Each choice to sing in sorrow, to praise in lack, to trust in silence—is a fragrant offering. The fig tree may wither. The vines may dry. The earth may shake. But My loving-kindness will never be shaken. You are held, not by circumstance, but by My everlasting arms.

Rejoice, child. Not in what is seen, but in who I am. Let your lips echo My life within you, for your salvation is secure, and your praise is eternal.

Scriptures referenced: Psalm 66:7; Romans 6:11; James 1:2; Psalm 57:7; Habakkuk 3:17–18; Hebrews 13:8

🧺 Real-Life Analogy

It’s like stepping onto a moving walkway at the airport. You may feel tired, burdened by baggage, and uncertain about the distance ahead—but once you step onto that path, it carries you. Your decision to step forward activates the movement. Choosing joy is like that first step—it may feel small, even forced—but once chosen, grace begins to carry you forward with surprising strength and peace.

🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence

Father, I rejoice that my life is not governed by what I see or feel, but by the unchanging truth of who You are. You have given me the mind of Christ and a heart fixed in praise. Even when circumstances shake, Your love remains constant. I thank You that I don’t have to manufacture joy—I simply trust the life of Christ within me to express it. My heart is fixed, Lord. I will sing and give praise.