Rejoice in this Day
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
How often do you awake with a sense of celebration of the day ahead of you? Unless you are on vacation, it is likely rare. I’m going to make an educated guess that for most of us when our alarm goes off in the morning, our first thought isn’t, “I’m so excited for this day that God created and for all the blessings it has in store for me!” We are more likely to awake with some stress or anxiety regarding all that we feel we need to accomplish today, perhaps lack of motivation and heaviness when we’re dealing with depression or difficult life circumstances, or even a sense of dread with the thought of having to begin yet another day. Even on your best mental health days, it’s likely that you may feel neutral about the day, but not necessarily finding yourself rejoicing in it.
But as this verse in the Psalms so clearly states, God made today! He has made each and every day, and everything he creates is good. Because he created it, we can rejoice in today, knowing that he has purposed it for our good, that there are blessings to be received in each day, and that he is with in every challenge that comes our way.
Many Christians, whether consciously or subconsciously, often carry an inaccurate mindset that God wants us just to slap on a happy, positive face and be grateful while he dishes out struggles and disasters for all. Imagine an abusive parent, throwing garbage on their children’s dinner plates and saying “Just eat it and be grateful that I’m giving you anything to eat at all.” This is not an accurate depiction of our loving Father God. He has good things in store for us and wants to give them to us! Sometimes we are so focused on problems, or the need to accomplish a certain number of things on our To Do list, or the stress of trying to perform and live up to the world’s expectations that we miss the blessings that are hiding around us in plain sight every day.
What would change if we awoke each morning and chose to celebrate the day ahead? Each day truly is a gift, and there are blessings in store for you in every day. By rejoicing in the day that the Lord has made, our hearts will be lightened, our attention will be drawn more to the positive elements in the day, and the challenges we face will feel like less of a burden.
If you find yourself struggling to rejoice in each day, it may be an indication that you need to make some shifts or changes. Your day may be filled with things that are not meant to be on your plate, or you may be carrying some unhealthy mindsets that are the result of past trauma or experiences. Take time to reflect, ask God to reveal things that might need to change, including your perspective, and be willing to seek out help when you are feeling stuck.
This week, I encourage you to intentionally take a moment every morning as the day begins, acknowledging that our perfect, overwhelmingly kind-hearted, loving God made today, and he made you to joyfully experience this day. We can rejoice and be glad!
Thank you, Lord, that you created today! Thank you that you know everything I will face today, and that you are right there with me. Thank you for the joy that you have in store for me today, and make me aware of every blessing. I choose to celebrate today!”