As I was finishing a hike in the mountains above our home, I walked out of the woods onto a city street. In the distance, I heard a crowd of children shouting and screaming with joy. When the crowd of kids finally appeared, I could see that a teacher and her assistants were leading a group of grade school kids on a walking field trip from a nearby grade school to a local attraction in town.

These joyful kids reminded me of the field trips during my grade school years. On our field trips, we expressed the same kind of noisy and demonstrative joy that was taking place before me.

What was happening with the kids on their field trip is what happens when the Lord moves upon His people and a revival breaks out. When true revival does happen, we will become like children, free to express our joy in ways we may not have done before God began to revive our spirit.  Because Jesus died, rose again, and is now seated on His throne in Heaven, we have reason to be like excited children on a field trip. Our joy happens because we know we will share in the fruits of the Lord’s resurrected life.

We are on an earthly journey that is leading us to a place where we will sit with the Lord on His throne of victory. That thought should create joy in God’s people. In that understanding, we will become free to express the joy of our salvation, where all our earthly brokenness and sorrow pale in comparison to the coming joy of our final union with the Lord.

When true revival breaks out, joy will fill our hearts. It will be as the Psalmist wrote, “With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God” (Psalm 84:2).