The purpose of THIS day . . .

This is the day that the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it!

            Psalm 118:24 (Hebrew Names Version)

I was on the train this morning commuting into D.C.  With two hours to ride, I could not keep my eyes open, so as I thought that I would simply close them for a moment, with the idea that I would open them very shortly and get to work.  Instead I opened them right when the conductor announced that we would be arriving at Union Station soon.  But what I saw at that moment filled me with awe and amazement!  Upon opening them I saw the sun bursting through the clouds with this one thought bursting through the fog in my brain:

This is the day that the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it!

This day was made by the Lord.  And for what purpose . . . that we would rejoice and be glad in it!  Seemed simple enough a thought, until I started wondering why the writer felt it necessary to tell us to rejoice and be glad.  It is not stated as an idea, like we may rejoice and be glad in it.  Instead it is stated as an imperative . . . as a command . . . we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.

It is the intention of the Lord, HIS purpose for our lives, that we rejoice in THIS day.  He made it for just that purpose!  So . . . if I refuse to rejoice and be glad in it I am going against God’s design for the day.  For some of us just knowing it is His will and we would be being disobedient if we don’t do it is enough for us to do whatever it is. But for some of us, me often included, just being told something to do, especially when we don’t feel it . . . well that just doesn’t cut it.  So for the rest of us who may need more, perhaps a look at the words may help.

Rejoice means to show great joy and delight.  It is a verb, meaning it is an action.  It comes from Anglo-French origin rejoir or to welcome and enjoy.  To welcome and enjoy.  Hmmm  And glad means to experience joy and pleasure.  Hmm

So . . .  plugging in the definition . . .

“This is the day that the Lord has made.  We will welcome it and enjoy it and experience joy and pleasure in it.”

What happened yesterday is yesterday.  Today is a new day. Your and my future is not created by what was done yesterday or even what we may think we will do tomorrow, but it is created by what we do today.  No matter how bad yesterday was; no matter what we have from yesterday which seems to be affecting today . . . today is a NEW day with a NEW opportunity to create a NEW life and a NEW future.  Is that not a reason to rejoice and be glad in it, to welcome and enjoy it and experience joy and pleasure in it?! 

And remember Rejoice is a verb.  Action is required.  So you were crying . . . start laughing.  So you did not do what you needed to do yesterday, you have today to do what you can do today.  So there was dancing yesterday and joy in the house, and today the sun rises on stillness and quiet . . . you have today to create new memories, to cherish the old and embrace the new; to build on the positive. Get to DOING the welcoming and enjoying of THIS day!

Come to think of it, I think God had something going on here when He created THIS day.  I think I like its purpose.  I think, NO I KNOW I will follow his command.  I welcome this day to enjoy all it has to offer.  I will be glad and take pleasure in it.  You do too.  God always has the right idea for our well being.

Got Word?

Love yah,

Prioritizing . . . a test of integrity

I am rushing out of the door today.  I am late.  Late to the gym.  Late to work.  Late to do the work I have on my plate.  Late to make meals.  Late to pay bills.  Late to mail packages.  Late to do school work. I am simply late. 

I began thinking just how busy I am.  I began to think of just how much I am missing.  I began thinking of how I am having to constantly make decisions as to what I will do and what I won't do.  I began thinking just how important everything seems to be to get done. 

So what do I do . . . I decided to stop and read God's word.  Why?  Because I need balance.  I need direction.  I need to be reminded as what is important, of indeed WHO is important.  I need to get back into right priority.

I open a bible and this is what leaps of the page.

"I know my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity."
1 Chronicles 29:17

Prioritizing was what was on my mind.  God shows me the integrity of my heart as the scale.  Into the context of my life for the day, he interjects a word which puts everything else into focus ' "integrity."

It is an odd place that this verse in the bible is found.  It is found right in the midst of David noting that all that they, the people, had brought to build the temple of God came from God.  Right in the middle of this discourse where he has noted that "Our days are like a shadow, without hope. . . " and where he has acknowledged "O Lord our God, as for all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name, it comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you." he follows up with

"I know my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity."

You and I are each busy taking all that God has given us to build a temple which is supposed to give glory to God.  One should be able to look at our lives and see the glory of the living God manifest in it.  Thus everything that I do today, everything that I have planned is part of that building process.  Including everything that I expend -- my energy, my resources, my everything -- came from Him to be given back to him.  It is with him that it all starts, is processed, and ends.  The heart of the matter is where He is in all of this.

The test of my heart . . . where is my integrity?

Focus to prioritize starts with focus on Him, His purpose, His direction, His plans for the building process.  Without Him in the center of my heart there is no integrity.  Without Him in the center of this building process there is no integrity.  Without Him in the center my priorities are off.

So, I stop and seek Him.  I center myself around His word.  I thank Him for the provision of the day . . . for the energy I will expend . . . for the time that will be used up . . . for the hope that will be realized . . . I allow Him to take a check of my integrity . . . I lay my life and plans out for the day and trust Him to do what He wants to do, whatever He wants to . . . See HE is God, not I.

You go do it too.

Got Word?

Love yah