Daily Devotional For Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Good morning Southside and April is here. When you wake up in the morning, are you cheerful and ready to take on the day? Or, are you sluggish, wishing it was a different day? I know that some people are morning people and some are evening or night people, but I am not talking about that. I am talking about your attitude when you wake up. Psalm 118:24 states, “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it” (NASB). The key word here is: rejoice. Does this describe you? Are you a rejoicer or are you a whiner? Our verse for today comes from Proverbs 15:30:
“Bright eyes gladden the heart; Good news puts fat on the bones” (NASB).
This reminds me of Proverbs 15:13: “A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken” (NASB). As we have looked at some of the Proverbs so far, what God is doing through them for us is preparing us to understand how the Gospel should impact our attitude and view of life. As we read the Gospels we see that Jesus was an emotional person. He was not some kind of first century Mr. Spock, okay? Over and over the Gospels say that Jesus had compassion on the people. He wept. He cared. He was so human that people were attracted to Him. No one can live in this life non-emotionally. Oh, they may suppress their emotions, but their body over time will pay the price.
Jesus was emotional. When Jesus looked at the rich young ruler, Mark’s Gospel says Jesus “loved him” (Mark 10:21). When Jesus arrived at the tomb of Lazarus in John, Jesus wept (John 11:35). When Jesus encountered a man with leprosy, He was moved with pity and compassion for the man (Mark 1:41). Jesus’s emotion so impacted the Apostle Paul that it radically changed Saul to Paul so that he would write of his affection for the Philippians due to the affection of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:8).
Jesus got angry (Mark 3:5; Mark 10:14; John 11:33, 38; John 2:13-17; Matthew 7:6; Matthew 15:7; and Matthew 7:15. The Bible says it was His love for us and His anger against sin that sent Him to the cross. And Jesus loved children. I can imagine Him talking, loving on and smiling at them – even teasing them and tickling them. Sadly some Christians walk through life like Quiser Bordreaux in Steel Magnaolias: they have been in a very bad mood for the last 40 years. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (NASB). Are you cheerful or jeerful?
Reflection Assignment: As you read this make a commitment that all day you are going to look for only the good and praise God for it each time. When your attitude wants to go “south,” send it “north.” Choose joy. Choose praise. When someone is negative, find a way to speak the joy of your salvation to them. See if you can get through just today without one negative word from your mouth.
Scripture To Meditate On: Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, thank You for this day. Help me to get through it with all praise, joy and complimenting others. Help me to see the good and the positive and to be a voice of good news to those who are in a slump. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly