Devotional Title: Intentional Joy

Psalm 118:24
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

As kids growing up, we all remember the excitement of something big coming up. Maybe it was a trip to Disneyland, going to the beach, or heading out on vacation. There was anticipation, gratitude, and pure thrill about what was ahead. You counted down the days. You imagined what it would feel like. You couldn’t wait.

But we also remember the day after.

The excitement fades. The event ends. And sometimes there’s that strange, quiet feeling that follows. Almost like a mini “post-event” depression. It’s a feeling that many of us know all too well.

For me, I just experienced that in a very real way. Last Sunday, I had the blessing of marrying my wife, and we just finished our honeymoon. The anticipation leading up to the wedding, the celebration itself, and the time away had me feeling like a ten-year-old waiting for his first Disneyland trip. Even my nieces were singing at the top of their lungs on the drive to the wedding because of their excitement.

The day was beautiful. It was a celebration. We praised the Lord and gathered with people we love. Even better, we got to spend a week in Cancun, disconnected from work, family, friends and just eat food and have fun as newlyweds! (Highly recommend)

But then just like it started and we were looking forward to this amazing moment, it was over.

Both my wife and I felt it at the same time. “What now…haha?” The planning was done. The celebration had passed. Was that it? Was our hope being placed in the wedding itself or how we would be celebrating and feeling joy?

But one verse kept coming back to us:

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

It was easy to rejoice on our wedding day. It was a beautiful day that the Lord created. But the real question is this: How do we rejoice on the normal days? The routine days? The hard days? The days that don’t feel like a celebration? And most importantly look back and realize that was the day that God created for us, let's continue to celebrate and rejoice for the blessing he did give us.

This verse speaks directly to something so many of us struggle with.

1. “This is the day that the Lord has made.”

Each day isn’t something we created (although we love to think we are biohacking our morning routines, or how some people think manifesting their moments). It’s not something we earned. It’s something the Lord made. With intention. With grace. With purpose.

He created the heavens, the earth, and every single day we experience, the joyful ones, the sorrowful ones, and everything in between. Each day is given to us, not guaranteed to us.

That alone shifts perspective.

2. “Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

This is the harder part.

It’s natural to rejoice on the best days of our lives. It’s easy to feel gratitude when everything feels aligned. But what about the ordinary Tuesday? What about the stressful workday? What about the season where nothing exciting seems to be happening?

How do we transition from celebrating milestone moments to practicing consistent daily gratitude?

How do we thank the Lord for the simple things, like the weather, the friendships, the health we have in that moment instead of focusing on what has already passed?

We live in a culture that is always looking ahead to the next big thing. The next trip. The next promotion. The next event. The next milestone.

But Psalm 118:24 calls us back to today.

Not yesterday’s celebration. Not tomorrow’s anticipation.
But today, and that moment. 

Each day is a chance to rejoice. Each day is an opportunity to show gratitude. Not because it’s perfect, but because it was created by God with intention.

As Christ-centered believers, we have the opportunity to model that kind of joy. Not just in the highest highs, but in the quiet in-between.

The next time you experience the excitement of something big, and the low that sometimes follows, pause. Look back with gratitude for what happened. But also ask yourself: How can I rejoice in this day, the one God has given me right now?

Intentional joy isn’t about chasing the next celebration. It’s about recognizing that even today especially today, is a gift.

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