"This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24
This is the day...This is the day…That the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it! Ok, are you singing with me? There is happiness and a sense of promise in these words. As I think about it, I am reminded that we live in the present moment. The past is done, the future is yet to be- and I can’t really change either one of them. THIS is the day wherein I rejoice! Have you ever found yourself, like me, spending so much time stressing about what happened in the past, or worrying and trying to take control of the future? Are we missing time with God now while we place our thoughts in the past or future? We can instead, rejoice in this moment and be glad because God meets us all in the here and now, and abides with us. This suggests that the here and now is where we want to place our energy. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 6:33-34: “But seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to help guide us for today. Consider these fruits or gifts of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. This can be our “list” (especially if you are a list maker like me) of where to choose to place our thoughts. We can come to God now, in this moment, and ask the Holy Spirit to direct our actions as we seek Him. Think about it- the present moment is all we truly have. Let’s not miss a moment with God. Let us rejoice in it!
Borrowing the words of Max Lucado: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.” And as the sun rises, we will rejoice again as God meets us in the moment.