Devotion's by Deborah

Devotion 4-5-24, Psalm 118:24- "This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." "This is the day," meaning every day, is a day which God, the Lord, has made. Every morning is a new opportunity from God. Every day is a new adventure from God. If you are even slightly similar to me, you feel you could do without some of the days; you feel you would be just fine without some of the adventure. But, no, I would not, and you would not, be who we are, this minute, without the previous days and years of "life" lived in relationship with God. Therefore, I choose, and you may choose, to be thankful and rejoice in the present day, in the present opportunity, the present struggle, in the present "adventures." If I have learned anything at all, it is that when I choose to rejoice in God, thanking Him, praising Him, and meditating on Him, my own perspective improves. I know that my actions and choices please God. I know I am doing a good thing no matter what I think or feel. It is unwise to ignore the many admonitions in scripture to praise God, to thank God, and to rejoice in God. They are everywhere. The sheer quantity of them is sufficient to inform our choice to do it. The Psalms are classic in this area. If you feel at a loss for words or ideas, just begin reading the Psalms out loud. Do that often and you will find they have burrowed into your heart and mind. They will pop out of your mouth, praising God. But as you read God's Word, from Genesis to Revelations, you will frequently find praise and rejoicing. Look at this gem. Zephaniah 3:17 - "The Lord your God is in your midst a victorious warrior. He will exalt over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." This is God rejoicing over you! Should not we give back what He gives to us? We choose rejoicing and praise!