This is the Day

I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:21-24 (NKJV)

I still remember standing in chapel at Northwest University singing "This is the Day, this is the day, that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made, I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it and be glad in it..." I wasn't really "feeling it!" It was at the end of the quarter and I had a Friday final right after chapel. (With only four more the following week) I was actually annoyed, singing an "air-headed" song like, "This is the Day." Obviously, I was missing the point of the song. The song is not a "cream or wheat" platitude like Mr. Rogers' "It's a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood." We were singing a song that originated in the Psalms and it is referring to the day of Christ's atoning work.

The 118th Psalm would have to be considered prophetic in nature, because, the Psalmist was looking forward to the point in time when Jesus, "The stone which the builders rejected" became "the chief cornerstone." The day when Jesus was crucified was both horrific and glorious. What Jesus endured in order to become our salvation was heartbreaking, and yet, it was a glorious day of hope. The Psalmist referred to Christ's work as "marvelous in our eyes!"

It has been a very long time since Jesus died on the cross, so what does that historic event mean to me in the here and now? It means that I live each day covered by the righteousness of Christ. It means that I enjoy an ongoing and deepening communion with the Father. It means that the Holy Spirit is living in me. It means that my life is full of joy, hope and faith. It means that I am a beloved son of God. I could go on and on... This one thing I do know...if I ever have the chance to sing the chorus that I found so annoying...I will sing it with a lot more passion! "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!"

Prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, once again, thank you for sending Your Son to rescue me. I do rejoice in the grace that I have received! Help me to live with a more grateful attitude never forgetting the love and favor that You have demonstrated to me. Father, You are great and greatly to be praised. Blessed be the name of the Lord! Amen"