Rejoice
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24, ESV
A few days ago, our daughter sent me a text message with a video of her graduation from college. Her boyfriend (now husband) had taped a few shots of the graduation. In one particular shot her grandpa was giving her a big hug and congratulating her on her accomplishments. The video was captured in 2007 and her grandpa passed away in 2009. She wrote me with mixed emotions in tears of joy because she remembered how much we all celebrated together; but there was sadness because he was now gone.
Our daughter recently gave birth to her first little boy and we realized that when grandpa gave her that hug back in 2007, he was also hugging his future great grandson as well! What was so ironic was the timing I received the text message. I was sitting at home with both my parents taking down Christmas decorations. The thought later came to me that we needed to be grateful for every moment in the present because we do not know what will happen next.
Psalm 118:24 reads, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it,” came into my heart. Our days can be so routine that we forget it is a present from God and given to each of us to enjoy and rejoice in him. I meditated on the word rejoice and researched the definition in Hebrew. In Hebrew the word is “smach” which means a feeling so strong that it finds expression in some external out. A spontaneous, unsustained feeling of jubilance, and a feeling prompted by some external and unsustained stimulus (Strong’s Concordance). When I read the last part of the definition I immediately thought of my favorite football team winning the Super Bowl and how that would cause me to rejoice.
Scripture tells us to have that same kind of joy each day. As I meditated on those words, my mind went to Psalm 86:4 “Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. KJV Everyday we can rejoice with exuberant praise when we ask the Holy Spirit to help us to rejoice unto God. Our focus would not be on our situation, or what we are going through, but on ELOHIM and what He has done. When our spirits are aligned in the right place, we can embrace the present with joy and appreciate every moment that has been given to us.
Father, I thank you for reminding me of the precious gift of time. Everyday that I am here it is gift that I am to enjoy. Many times my focus is on the routine of what is in front of me and I forget to find my praise and joy in you. I repent and ask for forgiveness. Holy Spirit, I ask that you help me to focus my soul on rejoicing in ELOHIM. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19, Isaiah 55:11
You can also follow me at JCCMinistriestv:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoEcr3koSqRbqVma5EGWgA/videos
My published books are now available at:https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Life%27s+Journey+volume+2+Jacqueline+Crooks&language=en_US&ref=nb_sb_noss