Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 118:24; Romans 8:11; Philippians 4:4

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24 NKJV)! This is your day, and it’s the most important day you have. Yesterday is gone and you can’t get it back — and tomorrow has not yet arrived. So today is the day to rejoice and embrace all the wonderful things God has placed in you because of Christ Jesus!

Don’t you think it’s interesting that this verse in Psalms was written thousands of years before any of the hundreds of self-help books on the market today became available? These types of books are purchased by people who want to learn how to improve and enjoy their lives. Many of these people don’t even know how to have a good day!

Yet the Holy Spirit inspired David to write these powerful and instructive words for our encouragement. We can apply their wisdom even in our day. We can rejoice and be glad today!

Let me ask you a question about today. Are you enjoying this day, or are you just enduring it? Are you thinking to yourself, This is another boring day that I’ll just endure until bedtime. There’s nothing exciting about it — it’s just “more of the same.” I serve people, and I do my job. It’s just another day.

Subscribe to Denise’s 28-Day Journey Email Devotionals! Think about it. It’s our choice whether or not we will rejoice in and enjoy “this day.” These words in Psalm 118:24 reflect an attitude, and it is important to remember that our attitude is our choice. So how about making this attitude your choice: Praise the Lord — God has given me another day to serve Him! I am alive, and I’m going to rejoice and be glad in this day. After all, this day will only come once. So I choose to square my shoulders, hold my head high, and embrace the next 24 hours with all the enthusiasm I can muster. I’m going to smile and enjoy the Lord as well as the people I meet and come into contact with today.

We don’t have to let present circumstances dictate whether or not we will rejoice. At the time the apostle Paul wrote his epistle to the Philippian church — exhorting them to rejoice (see Philippians 4:4) — he was living in deplorable conditions, locked up in prison. Yet he told his readers to rejoice! And he said it ten times in one letter!

There is a saying that time waits for no one. This means that what we choose to do with our time is very important, because the clock will continue to tick no matter what! In other words, time will not stop and wait for us to make the right decisions to obey God and His Word. So let’s  just choosetodayright now — to rejoice as the apostle Paul urged us to do.

I want to encourage you with this thought: No matter what circumstances we may be facing, we of all people can choose to rejoice because of Jesus and His resurrection power within us. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you and me as believers (Romans 8:11). That gives us plenty of cause for rejoicing!

Your flesh may not want to rejoice for one reason or another. But your spirit is filled with Jesus’ resurrection power and His joy, and your spirit wants to express that joy with much rejoicing. So take hold of the real you on the inside and just rejoice! I promise you, your outlook will change and your attitude will be contagious!

Please let us know how we can pray for you. Your requests are always kept in the greatest confidence. We are honored to stand in faith with you and partner with you in prayer.

In His great love,

Denise Renner

Denise Renner