Hi friends!

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalms 118:24

Now this is a scripture which is often quoted and used ubiquitously. I must admit that I am not sure how much I used this scripture or applied it, although I have heard it many times, over the years. Isn’t  it so with scripture and us sometimes? We hear it, but do we really hear it.

So true to form, I heard it again on the radio this week and I just had to go and read the entire Psalm where this scripture is located. I wanted to remove the numbness of hearing a familiar scripture and get to the heart of what God wants us to hear, apply and live by.

When I read Psalm 118, do you know what jumped out at me? There are things we MUST do and there are things that God WILL do. For instance, God is making the day (will do) and in this day (which is today) our role is to rejoice and be glad. Both things have to culminate for it to work in our favour.

But what is it  that we are rejoicing about? What we often do is look at our daily circumstances and feel glad or sad based on what we see at the moment. If this is how you apply this scripture, then you will never be full of rejoicing, never! Your gladness will always be like a pendulum, and based on external factors.

I have come to realize, that the key to living this scripture is not in the scripture itself, but in the rest of Psalm 118, where it outlines the character of God. Here is my reproduced version of that:

  1. God is good and his mercy endures forever. (Psalm 118:1)
  2. When we call upon the Lord in our distress, He will answer us and put us in a better place (Psalm 118:5)
  3. The Lord is on our side therefore we should not fear man (Psalm 118:6).
  4. The Lord helps us so they that hate us, cannot hurt us (Psalm 118:7).
  5. Confidence in God is better than confidence in man (Psalm 118:8-9).
  6. Nations (great armies) can come against us but through the Lord we will destroy them all  (Psalm 118:10-12).
  7. The Lord is OUR strength and exalter (Psalm 118:14-16).
  8. We will live through any situation and it will not kill us or break us! (Psalm 118:17-18).
  9. God has given us light and salvation (Psalm 118:22;27).
  10. God is good and his mercy endures forever (Psalm 118:29). I had to say this one twice because the scripture opens with it in the first verse and closes with it in the last verse. It is also found within the said Psalm.

Oh my God! You see what those 10 verses above are saying! It says to me, that we have the victory regardless of the situation we are in because God is for us and no man can be against us (Romans 8:31). Hallelujah to the Highest…! The unseen who is for us, is greater than the seen that is against us. This is why we can rejoice each day regardless of how the situation looks and feels.

God has created this day for us to succeed and by Him we will succeed. However, I don’t want us to be foolhardy. The Lord has made the day, but we make the circumstances, and these circumstances are based on something. As Stephen Covey says:

“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.”

So, although God is for us and with us we cannot go around making bad decisions and expecting good results. Those bad decisions can affect our joy and relationship with the Lord, which in turn, can affect our mood in the moment.   Therefore, stop making poor decisions! Cease and desist! If you need to go and repair something or make it right, do so now and start the restoration process, for this is helpful in reclaiming your joy. If you need help in restoring then just ask Him for help.

Do you know what I am glad about? I am glad that the day maker’s ability, triumphs over the decisions I make that affects me. The sovereign ruler rules and He will change things for my good.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

So, today, I choose to rejoice and I will rejoice!!! Is my situation still there? Yes! Are my problems still there? Yes! Are my health challenges still there? Yes! But is God still there? Most definitely, YES! He is in it for us to win it!

Today I look to the hills, where my help comes from the Lord (Psalm 121), the Maker of Heaven and earth. I rejoice today because the Day Maker’s got me!

PS: Dane Miller was last seen dancing and singing like there was no tomorrow.

(5803) “Celebration Medley” (1989) West Angeles COGIC Mass Choir – YouTube

Your Brother in the Lord,

Dane Miller | Authored Book – “God is the Author, I am the Pen”

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