(This week’s devotions are based on Sunday’s message: Win the Day…Wind the Clock – LISTEN HERE)
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Sounds good, right?
But what about a day I got in a car accident? What about a day I nearly failed my semester exam? What about the day my parents told me they were getting a divorce? What about the day that the doctor looked at me and said, “You have cancer.” What about the day…
Admittedly some days are hard to face or look back on and say, “Yippee! This is an awesome day that the Lord made…I am so glad it happened!”
It’s hard to look back at the days that have tough, tragic, heartbreaking events and still say with the Psalmist, “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118 provided context around the reason we can rejoice in the days that the Lord makes and gives to us.
Here’s just a few of the reasons:
- We are loved. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1)
- The Lord is with me. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)
- The Lord is trustworthy. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. (Psalm 118:8)
- The Lord is my strength. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
- The Lord will deliver me and give me life. I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. (Psalm 118:17)
- The Lord answers my prayers. The Lord is my Savior. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. (Psalm 118:21)
- The Lord is MY God. You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. (Psalm 118:28)
The list could go on. Entering any day with the Lord and these truths about him certainly gains the credentials for a day in which I can rejoice and be glad! Consider this:
If I have a day where people don’t treat me well or I feel unloved by the people around me, I have a God who loves me.
If I have a day where the challenges seem overwhelming and I’m not sure how I’m going to get through, the Lord is my strength.
If I have a day where I live in regret of past actions, I have the Lord who is my Savior.
If I have a day where people scammed me or deceived me with lies, I have a God who is always trust worthy.
Again the list could go on. The reality every day is a moment in time when we get to experience the very real presence, promises and power of God. He intersects those moments. He gives meaning to those moments. He gives perspective to those moments.
And when he’s involved in every moment, I can rejoice and be glad…every day!
Apply: Which promise from Psalm 118 resonates with you today?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being who you are and being by my side every day. Remind me of your power, presence and promises so that every day I will rejoice and be glad in it! AMEN.