“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
As I write this, I am enjoying a lovely day. The air is clean after a summer rain, it is warm, the sun is shining, there is a nice breeze and the birds are singing. So far, it is quite easy for me to rejoice and be glad in this day. Like today, God made the day that I was born, the day I married Marie, the days that our two daughters and two grandsons were born, and the day our younger daughter was wed…the days of joy and celebration. He made the days my mother, father-in-law, father, and other loved ones moved from this life into eternity with our Lord…the days of mixed emotions. Our Heavenly Father also made the day I was in an accident that took the life of a friend, the day that I was laid off, the day that illness invaded my life, the day of my first seizure, and my 50th birthday that I was too weak to enjoy…the days of distress. In all of these days I am called to rejoice and be glad. It is not merely for the pleasant days, but I am to celebrate all of the days of my life as are you. In fact, Psalm 118 is about rejoicing in our days of distress. The celebration is not based on the events of the day or our feelings, but rather the creator of the day and our hope in Him.
God is:
- The provider of light. Not just the sun that warms our bodies and lifts our spirits, but also the light that shines into our souls and provides guidance. vs. 27
- The one who dispatches His messengers of peace and conduits of His grace…those who bless us and come “in the name of the Lord.” 26
- He has chosen us and loved us. His love endures forever. This immense love carries us in both times of joy and times of distress. 1 John 4:8 and Psalm 118:1-2, 29
- On our side and is our helper. This fact keeps us from fear of men. Yes individuals and groups my make our life difficult or even end our life intentionally or inadvertently, but they cannot separate us from God or His love. 6-7
- Our refuge. God alone is our refuge and our strength. He protects and sustains until the day He chooses to move us to our heavenly home with Him. 8-9
- Our strength, our song and our salvation. vs. 14, 21
- The one who disciplines us for our good and to draw us closer to Himself. 18
- The one who redeems us and “opens the gates of righteousness”. Verse 22 is a reference to Christ. Through Him we are redeemed and cleansed. It is God’s doing and a gift from Him. 19-20, 22-23 and Ephesians 2:8-10
This is the God we cry to in our distress and the one who provides deliverance. Sometimes that deliverance is in the form of victory and relief as described in Psalm 118:10-13. At other times it is in the form of sustaining grace to perfect us and develop our hope and endurance (Romans 5 and James 1). Each of these is a gift; one removes the threat while the other gives us confidence in God’s plan for us and allows us to focus on the eternal value of the situation. Both forms of assistance should generate “glad songs of salvation” (vs. 15 ESV) and living to “recount the deeds of the Lord” (vs. 17 ESV). Psalm 118 opens and closes with the same words “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” In every event and circumstance of our life, we must remember that God is good, He loves us and His love is everlasting. This is our hope and this is the foundation for rejoicing in every day of our lives as they are the days God created and planned for us.
Today you may be experiencing great victory or relief; you may be enduring great trails; or you may have a day that mixes joy and sorrow. Whatever you are facing, remember who God is and that He has created and redeemed the events of this day as He has every other day so that you too can say “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”