“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24
God’s encouragement…
This verse brings a smile to my lips and uplifts my heart every time I read it or speak it. It is a marvelous instruction! Rejoice! Be glad! I love that part, the part that comes after the semi-colon.
I rejoice and am glad when the events of the day align with my desires. I treasure days when the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the temperature is pleasant, and I am walking in the woods with my husband. Bird songs delight our ears as we watch the forest creatures scurry about. When a conversation brings good news or the solution to a perplexing problem occurs to me, I rejoice. The familiar patterns of life bring gladness as the first snowfall of winter gives way to the first blossoms of spring.
God, however, knows the part of the verse that matters most falls BEFORE the semi-colon. He teaches us why through the other verses in the Psalm. He knows that rejoicing and gladness are too precious to risk by making them dependent on circumstances that change continually and over which we have no control.
He teaches us with these words: “Oh give thanks to the LORD for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” This truth gives us a reason to rejoice each day, one that never changes. This reason is independent from fickle circumstances. Amid our darkest times, when we desperately search for something to lift us up, we find God’s steadfast love. He then teaches us about His love. He invites us to call on Him when we are in distress, assuring us that He is our helper and that we can take refuge in Him. When I read these words, I feel His presence envelop me. I rejoice that I am never alone! I am glad He is with me always, and that I can trust Him.
Letting go of circumstance-driven reasons for rejoicing and gladness, makes room for God’s eternal and enduring reason. By letting go, we gain something much deeper and more wonderful! Something that will last all the days of our life.
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Image: original oil painting “The Heavy Stones” by Tom Lybeck
