This is the Day

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. --Psalm 118:24.

This week I have been thinking about this scripture a lot. “This is the day...” This day is the now! Not yesterday and not tomorrow but today!

Yesterday!
Yesterday has gone and there isn’t anything that we can do about it. We can’t go back and recall anything about it at all. We can’t change it or remake any remarks that we might have made a or any decisions we made. Yesterday is over! Done!

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. Psalm 90: 4

Tomorrow!
We all talk about tomorrow in some manner or the other. “I going to the store tomorrow. I will call you tomorrow." If we knew how much we use the work tomorrow it might surprise us. But the truth of it is we can’t do anything about tomorrow because it is not here yet. We can’t know anything about tomorrow, we can only think what might happen tomorrow. We can only talk about what we might do tomorrow.

Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1.

"One day at a time, sweet Jesus,

That's all I'm asking from you. 

Just give me the strength 

To do every day what I have to do. 

Yesterday's gone, sweet Jesus,

And tomorrow may never be mine. 

Lord, help me today, 

show me the way,,

One day at a time." 

We can’t do anything about yesterday, and tomorrow has not come yet so we only have today. I want us to look into this scripture for some thoughts about how to live on this day.

Today!
This psalm shows us that there is a relationship with God that is needed today. Let's look at this psalm and see the relationship that the Psalmist had with God.

 Verse 1-4 tell about the mercy of God.

¹O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
 ²Let Israel [the church] now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
 ³Let the house of Aaron [the ministry] now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
 ⁴Let them now that fear [the people] the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

This word “mercy” simply means God's kindness toward us or His favor.

If we look at Psalm 51:1-12 we find these words from David:

¹Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.  ²Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
 ³For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
 ⁴Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
 ⁵Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
 ⁶Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
 ⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
 ⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
 ⁹Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
 ¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
 ¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
 ¹²Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

This was the beginning of a great relationship with God. No wonder He said in Psalms 23, “The Lord is my shepherd!”

Now go back to our Scripture in Psalm 118. We will find that the Psalmist finds help in His relationship with the Lord.

⁵I called upon the LORD...
 ⁶The LORD is on my side...
 ⁷The LORD taketh my part...

 He talks about putting confidence in God rather than man. 

 ⁸It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
 ⁹It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. 

 We find the Psalmist using the name of the Lord as a help in trouble.

 ¹⁰All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
 ¹¹They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
 ¹²They compassed me about like bees: they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. 

 Verses 13-16 talk about the right of the Lord:

 ¹³Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.
 ¹⁴The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
 ¹⁵The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
 ¹⁶The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

 A relationship like the Psalmist had with God in this psalm shows a real relationship. But up until now it seems to be one sided. Let me ask you a question. What part do we have in this relationship?

Let's look at our responsibility to find the Lord as our personal Saviour.

¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: 

In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Isaiah 26:1-2.

 We have a responsibility to enter the gates of His righteousness.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:1-3.

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? Hebrews 2:1-4

To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Hebrews 4:7.

Not yesterday and not tomorrow but today we need to find His grace in our lives. Without this experience we have no relationship with God.

Another part of our responsibility is to praise and pray to Him. Again, from Psalm 118:

 ²¹I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
 ²²The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
 ²³This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
 ²⁴This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
 ²⁵Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
 ²⁶Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

We will have a reward because of our relationship with Him.

God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light... Psalm 118:27.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. I Peter 2:9-10.

He used a little stronger words for His relationship with God in Psalm 118:28.

Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18.

There is a song that asks a question that all of us should ask about this day.

Do you ever search your heart

As you watch the day depart?

Is there something way down deep

You try to hide?

If this should be the end

And eternity began

When the Book is opened wide,

Would the Lord be satisfied?

Is He satisfied? Is He satisfied?

Is He satisfied with me?