Rejoice and be Glad Today

"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Jesus Christ

The beginning of a new year is a fitting opportunity to take stock of our priorities, to consider our perspective and look to the LORD more than the future that awaits us.  Looking at articles and posts on social media, it seems people are happy to write off one year as bad with the hope of a good year ahead.  Jesus could have said, "Sufficient for the year is its own trouble," yet He focused on the day God made.  This is a helpful and healthy perspective we can keep in mind for as long as we live on this planet.

Judith Viorst wrote a children's book years ago illustrated by Ray Cruz with this catchy title:  "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."  Alexander and I share a thing in common, that we both decided to move to Australia.  In the story Alexander knew he was going to have a "bad" day because things did not go like he wanted.  The only solace the rascal had at the end of the book was he fell asleep knowing everyone has bad days.  It would be very pleasant if the bad feelings and troubles of yesterday disappeared the following day, but this is not the case.  Painful trials can continue until our outlook of an entire year is sullied from them.

The psalmist wrote in Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  This passage has been written into a song we used to sing at church.  A day isn't good or bad because of what happens during it but it is a day we can rejoice and be glad because God has made it.  A day may be filled with trouble, yet we should not allow the troubles of today to cloud our great God and the future He has prepared for us.  Jesus said in Matthew 6:31-34, "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

If you think Psalm 118:24 was written in the context of everything going well marked with prosperity, ease, blooming flowers and refreshment, think again.  Whilst it is true God has made every day we can rejoice and be glad in, the "day" referred to prophetically was the hour when Jesus Christ would be crucified on Calvary to atone for lost sinners.  The day Jesus went to the cross, from a human standpoint--which does not account for God, His grace and goodness--was a very bad day indeed.  But Jesus for the joy that was before Him endured the cross so those who trust Him could rejoice in Him every day on earth and beyond time measured in hours, months, days and years.  Because God has made today, we who know and trust God will rejoice and be glad in the day as much as we appreciate our eternal salvation.

We can say, "I will rejoice and be glad in it" and grit our teeth to try to rejoice, but the flesh cannot accomplish what God does through faith in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  I have seen people suffer greatly and miraculously become a comfort to others by the comfort they have received of the LORD.  Some endure terrible pains day after day, year after year by rejoicing in the LORD who is the strength of their life.  The weight of a bad year is too heavy for anyone to carry, for "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  We will have troubles and at times be troubled, yet with eyes of faith we seek the LORD and rejoice in the day He has made.  Let us be rejoice and be glad in the day He has given us today.