This Is The Day
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalms 118.24) This verse was written for worship in the time of King David and in recent years it has been put to music once again. In fact, it was one of the first choruses that I learned after my conversion. The music to this psalms makes you want to clap, dance and jump around. It is a happy song, but not superficial. It is quite profound in its meaning.
Today is all you have. Yesterday is gone. You may have fond or terrifying memories of the past, but you can’t go backward. The past is past. Paul told the Corinthians that; “the old is passed away”. (II Cor. 5.17) You can’t relive an experience. You can’t undo what was done. You can’t take back words that were spoken. What is done is done. Solomon said: “Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’” (Ecc. 7.10) Looking back only keeps you from moving forward.
When I was young, I lived for the weekends. Before the weekend, I would talk about what I was going to do and then on Monday to Wednesday, I would talk about what I did. It was like Monday through Friday were only bearable by looking backward or forward. I was wasting two-thirds of my time. As the Psalms says, “This is the day that the Lord has made.” Today is God’s present to us. In fact, it is all you have. So, learn to love your Mondays just as much as Sundays.
The future has to do with your purpose and direction. The present is the journey. In the present is the presence of God. He is the “I Am”. In the present is salvation; “today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19.9) It is now that the Lord is calling. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Heb. 3.7-8) It is today that He stands knocking at your door. (Rev. 3.20) When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him, they were to drop everything and follow. Those that said that they first needed to bury their father, or say goodbye to their family, were left behind. Today is the day of salvation.
Have you learned to live in the now? This is to stop the busyness of life long enough to smell the flowers along the path, listen to the wind in the trees, appreciate the little joys of life and smile at the passerby. Joyce Myers has often said that one must enjoy their everyday life. “Today is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Today is God’s day and living today is God-consciousness, not self-consciousness. It is a non-judgmental awareness of the present. Judgment deals with the past that you cannot change and worry is about the future that has not yet happened.
I have known people who were afraid of flying in airplanes. It was only after having a good time in the plane; talking to friends and laughing at their jokes, that they overcame their fears. You have grace for what you have to face today. Jesus said: “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble”. Today, His grace is sufficient for you. Today, you can flee all temptation. Today, love has been poured into your heart and today, you can forgive and expel all fear. Today is your day. Enjoy the trip. Rejoice in it!
Scriptures to meditate on: Psalms 2.7-8; 118.24; Zech. 9.12; Mat. 6.34; Heb. 3.7-8; 4.7