Will you? Or, nah, will you not?

Many of us sing the song on Sundays. Maybe during the week, too, as we listen to our I-Pods or radios or favorite CDs. The song sings:

"This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it."

But! It's not only a song. It comes from a psalm. Psalm 118:24 to be exact. And, I not only love those words; bless my husband's heart, but I say them and remind him of them often!

Particularly when his face is down-casted. When his brow is furrowed. When he looks dejected. When I can tell he's in a spirit of despair and feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. When "hope" is hard to see in his "I-don't-know-what-to-do?" moment. Especially in monetary woes of oppression! It's in those particular moments that I'll say to him, "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be what?" I'll ask.

He'll patiently retort the obvious answer, "and be glad in it."

To which I'll repeat it a couple more times, just in hopes that his feelings will eventually hear what his words are saying and perk to its command and obey them.

Hmmm.... This is the day, indeed, that the LORD has made... but do we rejoice?... and are we, in fact, really GLAD in it?


Rejoice ~ it's the Hebrew word giyl. It means to rejoice, to exult, to be glad, to delight; properly to go in a circle!.... to dance, to leap for joy!; to tremble, as accompanied by the leaping and palpitation of the heart.

After all the talk about dancing in an earlier blog, I have to say that this sure plays right along with it!

Be glad ~ the Hebrew word is samach. It's defined as to rejoice, to be glad, to gladden, to make glad, joyful, merry. The primary idea appears to be that of a joyful and cheerful countenance.  

I like that. I like that our joy, our gladness, the merry inside our souls, needs to be so deeply felt that the face can't help but to show it... and that our steps have need to act our delight with a dance.

Our faces are quick to show our moods of the moment, to divulge our woes, to reveal our feelings, to give way our excitement, to expose our hearts. Oh, we learn early on how to attempt to mask our feelings, to veil our hearts, to hide our hurts. We're very protective of our wounds. But should one dare to look closely, it can't help but be seen. If we're glad it shows. Mad also shows too. If we're hurt, if we're in pain, if we're worried, if we're sad, if we're suffering some anguish. And too, if we're super excited, in a good mood, happy, in-love, thrilled over something. All those things show. Our countenances are often quick to betray us. And so are our steps. Our walks talk and often tell how we feel. Whether it's rejection, acceptance, hope, or hopelessness. The list goes on. Start taking note of it. Watch people's face. Watch what their walks tell.

Now. Back to the verse that first prompted this post: "This is the day that the LORD has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Will you really? Rejoice? Be glad? No matter your circumstances? No matter what happens? No matter the situations that surrounds you?  Be glad in the day that the Lord created and obviously had reason and purpose and plans in creating?

Ah, He's a God that can take and work everything out for good no matter its hurt and its first appearances.

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!"..... Surely we can take heart in that and believe that He'll overcome whatever our day puts before us.

Reason enough, I conclude, in rejoicing and being glad in the day that He's given!

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