Theme of The Day: Rediscovering Joy in What You’ve Lost Touch With
Saturday should be a day of joy, but somewhere along the way, most of us lost the ability to actually experience it. We know how to be productive. We know how to be busy. We know how to scroll mindlessly, or binge-watch, or fill every moment with noise and activity. But genuine, soul-deep joy? That’s become foreign territory for many of us.
Here’s what happens when you lose touch with joy: life becomes a series of tasks to complete and problems to solve rather than a gift to receive and savor. You stop noticing beauty. You stop feeling gratitude. You stop experiencing the simple pleasure of being alive. Everything becomes utilitarian, functional, necessary. Joy gets dismissed as a luxury you can’t afford or a feeling you’ll experience later when circumstances finally align perfectly.
Today’s theme is about reclaiming joy as a spiritual discipline, not just an emotional response to favorable circumstances. We’re looking at verses that challenge our joyless Christianity and invite us back into the delight God intended for His children. Not fake happiness that ignores reality, but deep, grounded joy that exists because of who God is, not just because of what’s happening in your life.
Because Saturday is a good day to remember that following Jesus was never meant to be grim endurance. It was meant to include real, sustainable joy that weathers every season.
Bible Verses Of The Day: Morning Study
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24 New International Version (NIV)
Meaning of Psalm 118:24 and How to Apply It
We looked at this verse earlier this month, but it’s worth revisiting because we keep forgetting what it actually means. The Hebrew “asah” for “made” indicates intentional creation. God didn’t just allow this Saturday to happen. He actively fashioned it, which means today it carries divine purpose and potential, whether you recognize it or not.
“Rejoice” uses “giyl,” which means to spin around in joy, to be glad with intensity. “Be glad” is “samach,” meaning to brighten up, be cheerful, or be joyful. These are active choices, not passive feelings that happen to you. The psalmist is commanding celebration as a deliberate response to God’s gift of today.
The phrase “in it” matters enormously. Not rejoice despite it or after it improves or when conditions are better. Rejoice in this actual Saturday, with whatever it contains. The weather it brings. The circumstances you’re facing. The limitations you’re experiencing. The ordinary moments it offers.
This Saturday morning, you probably woke up with plans or expectations about what today should be. Maybe you’re hoping for productivity. Maybe you’re craving rest. Maybe you’re looking for some kind of breakthrough or special experience that makes the week’s struggle feel worth it. And underneath all that might be a quiet disappointment that today is just regular, not magical.
But the psalmist is saying this regular Saturday is the day the Lord made. It’s not a mistake or a placeholder until something better comes along. It’s an intentional gift from God, and your job is to rejoice and be glad in it exactly as it is.
Apply this by starting your Saturday with a simple but profound practice: thank God for today before you know what it will contain. Not for the potential of today or for what you hope will happen. For the actual gift of this morning, this breath, this moment. Say out loud: “This is the day the Lord has made. I’m choosing to rejoice and be glad in it.”
Then commit to noticing three things today that bring you joy. Not huge things necessarily. Maybe it’s your first sip of coffee. Maybe it’s sunlight through a window. Maybe it’s a text from someone you love. Maybe it’s the absence of demands for a few hours. Maybe it’s simply being alive.
Joy is often hiding in plain sight, waiting for us to pay attention. You might need to train yourself to notice it again because you’ve spent so long dismissing small delights as unimportant. Start practicing today.
Bible Verses Of The Day: Afternoon Study
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Philippians 4:4 New International Version (NIV)
Meaning of Philippians 4:4 and How to Apply It
Paul writes this from prison, which makes the command even more striking. He’s not rejoicing in his circumstances (a terrible circumstance by the way), he’s rejoicing in the Lord, which is entirely different. The Greek “chairo” for “rejoice” means to be glad, to be well, to thrive. Paul repeats the command for emphasis, as if he knows we’ll need to hear it twice to actually take it seriously.
“In the Lord” is the key qualifier. This isn’t generic positive thinking or forced cheerfulness. It’s joy anchored in who God is, what He’s done, and who you are in Him. That kind of joy can exist in prison because it doesn’t depend on prison doors being open. It depends on the Lord being faithful, which He always is.
“Always” uses “pantote,” meaning at all times, perpetually, on every occasion. Not just when you feel like it or when circumstances warrant it. Always. In every season, every situation, every Saturday, whether it lives up to your expectations or not.
By Saturday afternoon, the day has revealed itself more fully. Maybe it’s going well, or maybe it’s been disappointing. Maybe you got the rest you needed, or maybe obligations kept pulling at you. Maybe you feel refreshed, or maybe you’re still carrying the week’s exhaustion. Whatever the reality, Paul’s command remains: rejoice in the Lord always.
This doesn’t mean pretend everything’s fine when it’s not. It means find your joy in something unchanging when everything else is shifting. God’s character. God’s love. God’s faithfulness. God’s presence. These don’t fluctuate based on whether your Saturday is good or bad, so your joy doesn’t have to either.
Apply this by doing a joy audit this afternoon. Ask yourself honestly: what am I actually rejoicing in? If your joy depends entirely on circumstances being favorable, it’s not sustainable. The moment circumstances shift, your joy evaporates. But if your joy is rooted in the Lord, it can weather anything because He doesn’t change.
Make a list of reasons to rejoice in the Lord that have nothing to do with your current circumstances. His love for you hasn’t changed. His promises are still true. His mercy is still available. His presence is still with you. The cross still accomplished your redemption. Your identity in Christ is still secure. The gospel is still good news.
These truths are just as real on difficult Saturdays as they are on delightful ones. Rejoicing in the Lord means letting these unchanging realities produce joy in you regardless of what’s happening around you. That’s the kind of joy that actually sustains you long-term.
Bible Verses Of The Day: Evening Study
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
Psalm 16:11 New International Version (NIV)
Meaning of Psalm 16:11 and How to Apply It
David writes this psalm expressing confidence in God’s goodness and care. The Hebrew “yada” for “make known” means to reveal, to cause to know, to teach. God doesn’t hide the path of life. He reveals it, makes it known, and teaches it to those who seek Him. “Path of life” uses “orach chayim,” meaning the way of living fully, truly being alive rather than just existing.
“Fill me with joy” uses “saba,” meaning to satisfy, to make full, to give enough. It’s not a little happiness sprinkled on top of life. It’s fullness of joy, satisfaction, more than enough. “In your presence” is “panim,” literally meaning face. Joy isn’t found in getting what you want or achieving your goals. It’s found in God’s presence, experiencing His face turned toward you.
“Eternal pleasures at your right hand” points to lasting satisfaction, not temporary highs that fade quickly. The right hand symbolizes favor, strength, and blessing. David is declaring that true pleasure, the kind that endures, is found in proximity to God.
Saturday evening is when you’re winding down from the day and the week. You’re probably reflecting on whether today delivered what you hoped it would. Whether you experienced the joy you were looking for. Whether this Saturday measured up to what Saturdays are supposed to be.
David’s pointing you to where real joy is actually found: in God’s presence. Not in perfect circumstances or ideal Saturdays or finally having everything work out the way you wanted. Those things are nice, but they’re not where fullness of joy lives. That’s only found in proximity to God, experiencing His face toward you.
Apply this tonight by ending your Saturday in God’s presence. Not rushing through a quick prayer before bed, but actually spending time with Him. Put away distractions. Turn off your phone. Sit in quiet or worship or prayer, whatever helps you sense His presence.
Ask Him to fill you with joy. Not because today was perfect, but because He’s present. Not because you earned it, but because He’s offering it. Not because your circumstances warrant celebration, but because being in His presence is itself the celebration.
Then receive it. Let yourself actually experience joy in His presence instead of just talking about it. Maybe that looks like gratitude pouring out. Maybe it’s tears of relief. Maybe it’s laughter. Maybe it’s peace settling over you. Maybe it’s simply resting in the knowledge that you’re loved and known and held.
Joy isn’t something you manufacture through positive thinking. It’s something you receive in God’s presence. So position yourself there tonight and let Him fill you with what you’ve been missing all week.
End your Saturday by thanking God for the path of life He’s making known to you. For the joy available in His presence. For the eternal pleasures that don’t fade when circumstances shift. Those are gifts He’s offering right now, tonight, whether today lived up to your expectations or not.
Say This Prayer
Father, I confess I’ve lost touch with joy. I’ve been so focused on getting through each day that I’ve stopped experiencing the gift of being alive. I’ve been waiting for perfect circumstances to feel joyful instead of finding joy in Your presence, regardless of circumstances.
Thank You for this day You made. Thank You that even when it feels ordinary, it carries Your intentional design and purpose. Forgive me for dismissing Your gifts as insignificant because they weren’t dramatic enough.
Teach me to rejoice in You always, not just when I feel like it or when things are going well. Help me anchor my joy in who You are rather than what’s happening in my life. Your faithfulness, Your love, Your presence are unchanging reasons to rejoice even when everything else is uncertain.
Fill me with joy in Your presence tonight. Not because I’ve earned it or because today was perfect, but because You’re offering it. Help me receive the fullness of joy that’s only found in proximity to You. Remind me that eternal pleasures are at Your right hand, and being near You is where real satisfaction lives.
This week, I was so focused on surviving that I forgot to actually enjoy the life You’ve given me. Tomorrow, help me wake up ready to notice Your gifts, to celebrate small joys, and to rejoice in You regardless of what the day brings.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.