Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
I want you to imagine you wake up one morning, you spill your coffee on the floor. You check your phone. There's nothing but horrible news and everything in you wants to say, this is not a good day. This is not going to be a good day. But the Christian, we see here, says every day that this is the day the Lord has made, and therefore we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Not Shallow Advice
It's probably one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, but it's not meant to be treated lightly. It's not the psalmist just giving some shallow advice about how to have cheerful mornings. This is really the cry of a heart that understands that God is over all, that God is in control, that every day belongs to God, and every day is crafted by the Lord's hand. It is shaped by His wisdom. It is designed by His love for you, and therefore it is to be a day for Christians to receive with joy.
Because every day and whatever is in that day, we know ultimately is going to result in the glory of God and the good of His people. Now, that doesn't mean that every day feels that way. That doesn't mean that our circumstances don't tell us something completely different. It's why this requires faith. We have to believe that what the Word of God says is true.
This Is the Day the Lord Has Made
Some days are not easy. Some days are really hard. Some days are heavy. Some days might begin with grief or stress or disappointment or uncertainty. But this verse does not say, "This is the easy day the Lord has made." No, it reminds us that this is the day—not that is going to go according to my plans necessarily, but it will go according to God's plans, because this is the day that the Lord has made, even this one.
This day, when you're watching this, whatever day it is—an ordinary day, hard day, an exhausting day, a confusing day—each day is the day the Lord has made.
Listen. Rejoicing in every day is not pretending, is not closing your eyes and pretending that everything is perfect. We can acknowledge the trouble and the trials and the difficulty, but what it is doing is receiving this day as a day that is from a Father who is all-wise, who is all-powerful, and who loves me.
A Commitment Not to Complain
It's a commitment to not complain. It's a commitment to not panic. It's a commitment to not grumble. You know who's great at this verse? Who's great at this prayer is kids. I don't know how often you listen to little kids pray, but we hear a lot of prayers coming from the mouths of children that are just in line with God's Word.
I think about my young son, Reed, and one of the things he's always praying is, first, "Dear God." Then I'll hear this at somewhere at some point in the prayer, often at the very beginning: "Thank You for this day." I don't know how many adults I hear pray that, but kids pray it. They understand what this verse says. They understand this truth, that this is the day that God has made. This day is a gift. Therefore, I'm thankful for it. Whatever it holds, I'm grateful for it. I rejoice in it because it's the day the Lord has made.
How Are You Receiving This Day?
Before you rush into the rest of the day, however much time is left, I want to encourage you to pause and ask yourself, how am I receiving this day before me? Am I receiving it as a gift from God, or am I resisting it as if I know better than Him? Remember Psalm chapter 118, verse 24: "This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."
