Rejoicing into Healing
Joy can rise like a sunflower toward the light—undaunted, vibrant, and full of life no matter the soil beneath.
Scripture: A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. — Proverbs 17:22 (BSB)
Devotional Source: Days of Heaven on Earth by A.B. Simpson
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Solomon’s proverb isn’t poetic fluff—it’s a prescription. Joy isn’t merely the byproduct of health; it can be the agent that restores it. In Days of Heaven, Simpson reminds us that joy is more than a mood—it’s a means. When medicine falls short and strength has waned, joy can still lift the weary soul and even bring vitality to the body.
Simpson writes with tender boldness: Rejoice now, not later. Not when things feel better, but right in the middle of sickness, sorrow, and strain. It’s not denial. It’s obedience to the One who has commanded us to rejoice always. Because the joy we draw on is not self-made—it is the joy of the Lord. It’s Jesus’ own gladness in us that becomes strength for our bones, light in our eyes, and restoration for our bodies. His joy is our medicine.
Personalized Journal Entry — In the Voice of the Holy Spirit
My joy in you is not fragile, nor does it wait for circumstances to align. I am your joy, and I am unchanging. I rejoice over you with singing, and I quiet you with My love. Even now, My delight flows within you like oil on weary skin, bringing comfort and rest where you have been tense and dry.
I know your frame and remember that you are dust, but I also remember that you are Mine—redeemed, made new, and filled with My life. You are not merely surviving in this moment; you are abiding. You are not defined by sorrow, sickness, or uncertainty. You are defined by union with Me.
So rejoice—not as a denial of pain, but as an embrace of My presence. Rejoice, because I have turned your mourning into dancing. Rejoice, because My joy is your strength. I am your vitality when you feel spent. I am your song in the night. I am your praise in the valley.
When you laugh, even through tears, it is My breath filling your lungs. When you smile in weakness, it is My light shining through you. Let joy be your posture, your protest against fear, your participation in My life. Let it rise up in you like a wildflower pushing through cracked concrete—unexpected, beautiful, unstoppable.
Scriptures woven: Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 103:14, Psalm 30:11, Nehemiah 8:10, Psalm 42:8, John 15:11
My Prayer of Trust
Father, I rejoice today—not because everything feels right, but because You are right here. Thank You that Your joy isn’t something I must generate; it’s already alive within me through Christ. I trust that Your joy flows even now, ministering to my body and lifting my heart. I rest in the gladness of Jesus within me—this divine current of life that defies circumstances and renews what’s weary. Thank You that rejoicing in You is not just a command but a gift, and today, I receive it with open hands and a grateful heart.