This Is the Day!

I titled this site, ‘This Is the Day!’ This phrase is taken from the Bible verse, Psalm 118:24. The complete verse is as follows: This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. (NASB) We use this verse at the top of our bulletin at church as a way to greet and begin our worship service on Sunday morning. This verse has been a basis for a song that many Sunday school children have sung over the years. For me, this verse entails many facets. But, as I have always been taught, don’t take verses out of context to suit your purpose. Always study a verse under its History, Grammar and Context.

So, I borrowed my husband’s ‘Bible Knowledge Commentary’ , written by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck. This book is an ‘Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty’. If you like, you can read for yourself an interesting and informative teaching on the entire Psalm 118. For my purposes, I wanted to make sure that I was not taking the entire Psalm out of context as I was using it here. I am by no means a Bible scholar, so I will not go into any depth.

In general, the above men wrote that Psalm 118 “completes the group of Hallel songs.” These were Psalms 113-118. They said Psalm 118 may have been “written for the Feast of Tabernacles, perhaps even the first celebration of the Feast when the people returned from the Exile.” This song was sung at the festivals and “may have been sung in the Upper Room after the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:30). This psalm in its Old Testament setting however, was a song for praising the Lord’s loyal love.” My husband’s Charles Ryrie study Bible says, “the day of victory,” for Psalm 118:24.

Back to why I wanted to use this particular verse for this site. I also use it as my signature on my e-mails. Yes, this was a song of rejoicing for the Jewish people in the Old Testament, but I certainly think we can use it in our lives today. Each one of us greets a new day every day. We can make general plans for that day. Some days are exciting to look forward to; the last day of school, the first day of a vacation or just a day to relax. Other days are not so exciting to open your eyes to. It could be a day of difficult decisions ahead, hard labor or just another day of cancer treatments. But the point is…we DO have another day. We have an opportunity to make whatever we would like out of it. It is more about our attitudes and God’s grace than what the day IS.

My thoughts drift to this verse many times during the day as a general rule and some days I run it through my mind over and over. Those are the days that are difficult. But I know I am here for a purpose, God has a plan for me and each one of us. This IS the day which the LORD has made; I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!