Let us rejoice
by Pastor Peter Bean
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This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)
Read Psalm 118:1,2,19–29
My apologies to those of you who can’t get the old spiritual song out of your head! But what a great verse. This is the day the Lord has made. If you read verse 22 and recall how it is used in the New Testament by Jesus (Matthew 21, Mark 12, Luke 20) and Peter (Acts 4), there is great reason to rejoice. Jesus is the cornerstone of our life, our faith, our hope. What a great day!
But the day the Lord has made is not limited to one moment in time. Each day is a gift from our loving, creator God. Each morning, mercies are new (Lamentations 3). Each sunset, a kaleidoscope of colours reminds us of the breadth and depth of God’s love. Each (new) day reminds us that God’s love continues forever (a refrain repeated five times in this psalm, at the beginning and the end!).
When some people get to my age, they say they are just grateful to wake up each morning. Surely, each of us is called to be grateful when we wake up each morning. Another gift. Another opportunity to live in grace. Another opportunity to receive mercy.
If we begin each day this way, maybe it will flow into the whole day. Living the day as a gift, in grace, with mercy, we can then be glad each day and share our gladness through our actions and words. We can allow the grace and mercy that springboards our day to flow into the lives of those we encounter. As we are gifted with life each day, we can gift life to those we meet.
Thank the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever (verse 29). This is indeed the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Loving Creator God, thank you for the gift of life each and every day. Let us live our lives rejoicing in the life you gift us. Amen.
In the early months of the year, Peter is often out in the garden, watering, picking and pruning – chasing the birds away from his fruit! Or he is indoors – stewing, drying, preserving. Peter also enjoys walking his dog, riding his bike, reading and spending time with his family. To keep out of mischief, Peter says he is currently teaching himself to play the piano and is writing a paraphrase of each of the Psalms – now up to Psalm 56.
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