This is the day that the Lord has made – I will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24
This has never been on my list of favorite verses. It felt almost like a throw away line from the Psalmist or one that he wrote while having a great day and didn’t apply to real life. It didn’t help that there is a peppy song about it complete with an echo – “this is the day, this is the day – that the Lord has made…I will rejoice…..and be glad in it”. But this last year – I haven’t always felt like rejoicing. There were days when all I could really do is cry and hide from the world in a screen. This year I have experienced chronic pain, with every diagnosis and treatment falling short. Maybe some of you have experienced this as well – or maybe your pain is of a different sort – more mental or emotional. Perhaps you are experiencing grief or shame that weighs you down. I don’t know the pain in your life, but I intimately know mine.
Every morning I take painful steps with God, both physically and spiritually and He plants truths into my heart and mind. Recently, he gave me this gem: This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. It surprised me to learn there was so much more here than I realized. This is not just a happy verse – it is an immutable truth. This IS the day the Lord has made. THIS is the day the Lord has made. This is the day the LORD has made. No matter what I am facing, or you are facing. God is the ultimate ruler – His person, his reality is what will be. It is not random, it is not purposeless – even the pain. He is still in control, He still has a plan, and He is walking with me through every single painful step. And this is why I will rejoice and be glad in it. Because I am rooted in this eternal God – there is a bigger reality to focus on. It’s not all about this life – this experience. God is preparing me for an eternal weight of glory. And while we are here, living this reality – This is the day the Lord has made – whether exciting or incredibly painful we can rejoice and be glad in it.