The secret to being joyful every day
‘This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.’ — Psalm 118:24
‘The birth, death and resurrection of Jesus means that one day everything sad will come untrue.’ — J.R.R. Tolkien
It’s easy to say, ‘This is the day the LORD has made’ when the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and life is going well.
But when it’s dark and cold, and we face problems or pain, we can easily find ourselves asking:
Lord, is this really the day you have made? Do you really expect me to rejoice in it?
Psalm 118 challenges us not to wait until things get better or for our circumstances to change before we rejoice. Instead, we are to rejoice and be glad in each and every day—because God makes and wakes us up into each and every day.
A day that’s worth rejoicing in
This joy isn’t just naive optimism, positive self-talk or toxic positivity. It’s a joy that’s found in something tangible. It is a certain hope.
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.’ — Psalm 118:22–24
The Psalmist is able to rejoice because he looks forward to an even better day. He celebrates the present day of a victory in battle, but also prophetically rejoices about a greater battle to come.
Jesus uses verse 22 to describe Himself (Mark 12:1–12). He was rejected by those who should have known Him. He was crushed, taking our place and receiving the punishment for our sins so that we might be forgiven, so that He might be the cornerstone of our salvation
As He rose again, Jesus won the victory over sin and death to give life to all who trust in Him. As the Psalmist sings, ‘This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see’.
Through faith in Jesus, we are living in the ultimate victory that He has won for us, and we can be completely confident that our future is forever secure in Him.
With Jesus as our cornerstone—the foundation of our lives—we can rejoice in any circumstance. We can be confident that God’s love and goodness won’t change, even when everything around us is changing.
A change in perspective
Each morning, before you reach for your phone or put the kettle on or head out into your day, thank God for another day in His presence.
As you meet God in His Word, you will see more and more of His unfailing love. And by asking the Holy Spirit to help you look back at the cross and forward to Jesus’ return, He will transform your perspective, and you’ll find that rejoicing in Him becomes second-nature.
With the Spirit’s help, you really can rejoice in all circumstances.
The victory has been won.
Death is defeated.
Your future is sure.
This is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice and be glad in it.
With love,
Ruth