Friday, April 4, 2008

This is the day


Psa 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
With springtime upon us, we all enjoy getting outdoors and getting busy in the warm sunlight. It seems like everyone has caught a case of cabin fever and since we can finally get outdoors, we are all a bustle with our spring cleaning, (or any other excuse we can come up with to get outside). We bask in the sun, listen to the birds chirping, and watch the flowers bud all around us. It’s easy to rejoice in this day that the Lord has made, and rightly so, we should rejoice and thank God for these days. But what about the days when the sun is not shining so brightly? Or perhaps it is a nice day outside, but inside ourselves our spirit is darkened. Something as simple as a change in the weather or as complex as an unexpected financial burden comes our way, it is on those days that it is hardest to rejoice in the day that the Lord has made, instead we become so focused on the things we are going through, that we forget to take time to rejoice in these times as well.
James said that we should “Count it all joy” when we are confronted with temptations, “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” (Jam. 1:2, 3) We too know that when we make it through a trial we are often stronger because of it, but as the old saying goes, “Hindsight is 20-20”. We can say that when a couple goes through a trying time it only serves to strengthen their marriage, but when they are actually going through it that’s a small consolation. Life is never a smooth and easy road for long, no one said it would be, but if we can have the foresight to make the best of our bad times, it will make it an easier road altogether.
There is a lot to be said for rejoicing, I know personally that when something bad happens, I have two choices. I can
A. Complain to those around me about what is happening.
B. Take it, deal with it and make the best of it.
When I choose A. I do nothing to make the situation better; I only drag everyone else into it with me. Unfortunately, that is what we normally choose, because misery loves company. However, if I should choose B. the situation can only be improved. Interestingly enough, it is a scientific fact that if you force yourself to react positively on the outside, when inside you feel like shooting somebody, it will change the way you feel after a while. Go ahead and try it one time, when you really feel rotten, smile and start whistling, as much as you’ll hate the feeling. See if after two or three minutes you’re not laughing at yourself.
Whatever the situation, let’s all try to be a little more optimistic about our lives. Let’s try to be cheerful even when we don’t feel like it, and rejoice in the day that the Lord has given us. Because whether we like the way the day is going or not, it is still the day the Lord has made and He is worthy of praise for it.

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