Rejoice and Be Glad

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" [Psalm 118:24] These words from the Old Testament form one of my favorite Lord's day texts. For those of us who choose to view things from a Christ centered perspective, each day we have is a gift from the Lord and as such, each day is a Lord's day! At this moment in time, however, I am choosing to focus my attention on the words of the psalmist quoted above.

What dreary drudgery it must be to trudge through life thinking that day after day is void and without real meaning. Days become 24 hour periods to be endured rather than mini slices of our overall life which is itself a gift. Instead of viewing opportunities we might see only challenges. Those things in life which would be intended to slow us down and offer us times of reflections may be seen as annoyances. Uttering complaints seems far easier than lifting our voices in joyous restraint.

"So what is there to rejoice about on this Lord's Day?" you might ask. On April 26, 2009, the season of spring is upon us and the earth once again experiences an amazing transformation. The winter past is becoming a distant memory as trees bud and flower, flowers shoot forth from the earth and the lawns in the neighborhoods turns green as the grass makes a comeback. Spring rains which have watered the earth for the past couple of days provide much needed moisture and relief for the parched earth beneath.

Aside from the renewal of nature, you and I may rejoice in family, friends, health and well-being. Even if everything is not perfect in our lives, we undoubtedly have much to be thankful for. It has been said that no matter how bad things are in one's life, there may be someone else who is going through something worse. When we go through life with our eyes open, it doesn't take much to be aware of the pain and suffering in the world around us. One of my objectives in the ministry, which I believe I was called to, was to move people out of their "comfort zones" and open their eyes to new perspectives and challenges. Of course, this has not always worked so well in ministry and other positions in which I have found myself.

Yesterday, I looked forward to the Lord's Day to bring more peace, less stress, renewal and relaxation. For the most part, the day has lived up to my expectations. Lest I forget that the things I hoped for are indeed blessings, I am always reminded to be thankful and rejoice in each day. All of this may be summed up in the words of the first verse of Psalm 118, from which I quoted verse 24 above. "Give thank to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever!" [Psalm 118:1]

~DB Turnmire