A Commitment to Joy
“I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.”
—Psalm 9:2 (NIV)
There’s something deeply moving about the psalmist’s words here: “I will be glad and rejoice in you…” It’s not a passive hope or a reaction to good circumstances. Rather, it is a deliberate decision. Joy is something that we choose when we set our hearts on God.
There are times when life does not perfectly align with joy. There are days when we are weighed down by worry, disappointment or uncertainty. Yet this psalm reminds us that joy is not dependent on how we feel or what we face. It stems from God's faithfulness, love and forgiveness.
Praising God has a way of changing and enriching our perspectives. When we pause to speak His name with gratitude, our hearts lift beyond the immediate struggles. Praise and thanksgiving to the Lord shifts our focus from what we lack to the abundance of God’s graces, the love and presence He provides and the guidance He gives. It reminds us we are not alone and that His promises hold true no matter what the day brings.
Psalm 9:2 invites us to wake each day and say, “I will rejoice in You, Lord.” It is a quiet but powerful act of faith. It is choosing joy not because everything is perfect, but because God’s goodness never fails. As we make this commitment to rejoice in the Lord, we discover joy is more than a fleeting feeling. It gives lasting purpose and overflows to those around us.
Guided Reflection:
As you go about doing God’s work at Baylor and beyond, take a moment each day to pause and reflect on the abundant graces our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon you. See the joy not only in great accomplishments, but also in the humble, everyday blessings we receive in His name. Above all, open your heart to behold the joy present in all of God’s creations, recognizing His handiwork in every moment and every person you encounter.
About the Author
David Szymanski, Ph.D.
William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean, Hankamer School of Business
David M. Szymanski, PhD, was appointed as the William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean of Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business in 2025. He previously served as president at the University of North Florida, dean of the University of Cincinnati's Carl H. Lindner College of Business and on the faculty at Texas A&M University's Mays Business School.
Szymanski earned his BA in Economics from the University of North Carolina-Asheville, where he was a full scholarship student-athlete in basketball and tennis. He went on to earn an MA in Economics from Vanderbilt University and his M.B.A. and Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
As a faculty member at Texas A&M, Szymanski held the Alton Withers Professorship and the JC Penney Chair of Retailing Students and served as director of A&M's Center for Retailing Studies. As dean at Cincinnati, the Lindner College of Business's previously unranked part-time and full-time MBA programs were elevated into the Top 25 and Top 35 public university programs by Bloomberg Businessweek and U.S. News & World Report.