Illustration: Faith and Happiness

In his Jan. 15, 2013, Turning Point Daily Devotional, David Jeremiah observes, "According to an article in The Journal of Religion and Health, people who regularly attend church are 56 percent more likely to have an optimistic view of life and 27 percent less likely to succumb to depression. The study was based on a sample of nearly 100,000 women and was funded, in part, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

"Imagine! The U.S. Government funding a study demonstrating that church attenders are happier, more optimistic and less depressed than people who don't go to church. We could have told them that without spending a penny. Joy is the instantaneous response of a heart that's filled with God's blessings.

"God has many attributes—love, justice, omnipresence and countless others—but among His qualities is an attitude of perpetual joy. God is joyful. As we meditate on His wonders and grow to be like Him, our lives will become increasingly optimistic as we say, 'Behold, this is our God...let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation' (ESV)."