“This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24.
It’s an easy verse to remember. Less than 20 words. And yet, those twenty words are packed with meaning. God makes an incredible statement and two commands in that little verse.
His statement, while obvious, isn’t always easy to remember. God made each day. Every morning that I wake up is a morning God made… it belongs to Him. Every afternoon is an afternoon God made… it belongs to Him. You get the point.
Within that day, which the LORD has made, He has given us two commands. First: rejoice. Second: Be glad in it.
I’ll be honest, some mornings I wake up with a deep sigh, somewhat overwhelmed with all I have to do, wondering how in the world I’m going to get it all done, and simply put… I’m not rejoicing and not real glad. It’s then I have to put my morning into perspective. I know, from personal experience, that when I rejoice – when I take the time to praise my Heavenly Father for His many blessings and rejoice in His love for me, that it drastically changes my perspective for the day. I also know that when I make a choice to be glad in the day, I’ve determined to be a cup half full kind of person and I end up having a full cup kinda day.
That said, I was thinking about how the knowledge that each day is from God and that we are called to rejoice and be glad in it affects my family. When my children see me rejoicing and giving thanks to my Father, it affects them. For one, it’s an example to them. Secondly, they enjoy me a lot more when I’ve taken the time to rejoice in my Father’s love for me. I’m a better parent when I’ve put my day in perspective.
As a believer, when I’ve put my day in its proper perspective, I can use it to bring God glory. No matter what I’ve got planned for that day, no matter what day of the week it is, when I remember that my day belongs to God – it affects how I use it.
So, how do I use my day? God gives us clear direction in His Word as to how He wants us to live our day. He tells us to train up our children in the way they should go so that when they are old they will not depart from it, He tells us to love one another, He tells us to encourage one another, He tells us to let our lights so shine before men that they might see our Father in heaven, He tells us to forgive, He tells us to hide His Word in our hearts… His Word is loaded with ways He wants us to spend the day He has made.
As we look around and see His creation all around us, let us remember that this day belongs to Him and He has a plan for it.