²⁴This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

This is the Day

When I had been a Pastor for about three years – back in the 90’s – I went to visit a church member’s Dad, who had recently moved into her home. Because her house didn’t have bedrooms on the first floor, she had moved a hospital bed for him into the living room, facing a window that looked out onto the side of a small mountain. He told me about the day he had watched a bear come out of the woods, making its way down to their porch! He had lots of stories to tell, but the one that affected me the most was what he told me about the verse at the top of this page. He said, “Every day, no matter what I open my eyes and I say these words. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Lots of my days have been good, some have been pretty bad, but I like to start each day grateful that I have it.”

What a gift to see our days with that perspective. Here was a man in a hospital bed still able to look at each day as a gift. He challenged me in those words to pay attention to each day and find ways to rejoice in the gift it is from God. I’m thankful for the ways we can yes to God’s love and let it transform the days of our lives.

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for the love you give every day. Thank you for the gift of this day. In Jesus Name, Amen

Reflection Questions:

1. How do you respond to the idea of rejoicing in each day as a gift – even if the day seems to be filled with moments that don’t feel like gifts in anybody’s definition?
2. Can you both accept that each day is a gift, and live in a reality that has ups and downs? What feels challenging about that?
3. Are there verses that encourage you in the way this verse encouraged the man in this meditation?