So you’ve heard the encouraging verse in the story of God (the Bible) that tells us that God made this day… and we should be content with that and be happy about being a part of it.  Psalm 118:24.  But do you know why and how this verse was used by Christ?  Check this out…

I discovered not long ago that the 118th Psalm was a hymn that was (and still is – orthodox) sung after the passover meal (Seder Meal) when the participants are leaving the premise where the meal was offered and consumed among close family and friends. This is the same song that Christ and the disciples would have been singing after the Last Supper in the upper room – as they departed the room.

In this picture, the last experience the disciples would have had with Christ before marching into “the day that the Lord has made” would have been this 118th Psalm. After this meal… this Last Supper… it was fruit basket turnover for the disciples and Christ himself as the Cross was just ahead of Him.  Skip ahead to a time after Christ was crucified, dead, buried, and ascended to Heaven to a place where the disciples are carrying out their charge from Christ.

In Acts 4, we find the disciples charged up with this 118th psalm burned in their memory… and quoting it to their persecutors.  When asked by the authorities, “on who’s authority do you heal and perform miracles?”  the disciples Peter and John replied, “Jesus the Christ from Nazareth, the corner stone that you builders rejected.”  The accusers were stunned at their knowledge of the scripture and looked at them as average, uneducated men.  And the accusers couldn’t do anything but let them go… because everyone was giving glory to God… the same God that the accusers were trying to define.

The disciples were not really having a good day during this exchange.  They were challenged, detained, railed against, and persecuted.  And they still clung to the day that the Lord had made… and they rejoiced in it by honoring God with their lips and their life.

So for me… Psalm 118:24 means so much more than a calming, peaceful reflection (it does that for me as well). This psalm reminds me that even as I head into the rough areas of my life where trials and challenges seem larger and heavier than I feel like I can bear, I must submit that God also made those days for me to experience.  Keeping this in front of my thoughts affords me the opportunity to reflect on the last good day that I felt close to Christ, and that He teaches me how to “be glad in it”.  It shows me that God makes everyday… and they don’t all look the same or feel the same… but God is calling me to rejoice in Him through it all.

Like the disciples… they are moving forward with the memories and the good days with Christ as a guide and teacher for where they are headed.  And they are also living in the moment that God created for them… to appreciate the lessons learned.

I get a charge out of that!

So… May you know that God made this day too.  Regardless of what you are facing… rejoice that you have the opportunity to be a part of it.  Our challenges really show us where our faith is… and it helps us understand better how to lean on Christ.

Peace,

Greg
Acts 4:31
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