9 Ways Psalm 118:24 Encourages Us to Rejoice in the Lord Every Day
Share
“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24, NKJV).
You have probably heard this verse once or twice in your life. Many times, when the worship team is opening the service, you may hear them quote it. I remember we used to sing a song based on this verse in church. See if this rings a bell:
“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
This is the day that the Lord has made
I will rejoice and be glad in it
This is the day, this is the day
That the Lord has made.”
Hopefully that jogged your memory, and that melody is ringing in your head. Laying aside this song for a moment, I want you to stop and think – what is the day that the Lord has made, and what are we rejoicing and being glad about? While Psalm 118:24 encourages us to rejoice in the Lord every day, it is really a culmination of things which are mentioned before you get to verse 24 that give us reasons to rejoice.
What Does This Verse Mean?
Allow me to interpret this verse in a very literal sense, and then within the context of the chapter. If I were to use a very literal interpretation, this verse encourages us to rejoice in the Lord every day.
When you think about who God is and what he has done in your life, there are many reasons you can rejoice daily. Usually when worship leaders quote this verse, that is the direction they are coming from. Depending on which church tradition you come from you may have even heard refrains like this – “He woke me up this morning and started me on my way.” This is when this verse will usually then be referenced. If you use a literal interpretation, then this verse aligns with what Paul encourages us to do in the New Testament.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
I believe it is easy to make a connection between rejoicing daily and rejoicing always. Let’s now consider this verse focusing more on the context of Psalm 18.
A Contextual Interpretation of Psalm 118:24
I would like to dig a little deeper into this verse with you and look at it in context. When you read the verses leading up to verse 18, you may see this verse in a different light. This verse refers to a specific day in which God has established some things. It is these things which give us the various ways Psalm 118:24 encourages us to rejoice in the Lord every day. This will be the foundation we use going forward.
9 Ways Psalm 118:24 Encourages Us to Rejoice in the Lord Every Day
Let’s now look at nine ways Psalm 118:24 encourages us to rejoice in the lord every day. As a note of reference, the verses I use below, unless otherwise noted, will all come from the NKJV.
1. We can rejoice in the day of God’s mercy.
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 118:1).
Every day we can rejoice in the mercy of God. We learn in Lamentations 3:23 that his mercies are new every morning and we see here they endure forever. This means every day when you wake up and see the sun, there is a fresh supply of mercy available for you that day. This supply of mercy will never run out. This is great because if you are like me, you are going to need it, and knowing it is available is reason to rejoice.
2. We can rejoice in the day of delivery.
“I called on the Lord in distress; The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place” (Psalm 118:5).
Isn’t it wonderful that we can call on the Lord in the hour of our distress? Being able to call is one thing, but the fact he hears us and delivers us is another thing. You should rejoice every day that you have a God who is not deaf, but who hears the cries of his people.
3. We can rejoice in the day of safety.
“The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6).
Do you realize there is no one who can overtake you when the Lord is on your side? There is safety in his arms and safety in his presence. This does not mean bad things won’t happen, they just can’t overtake you unless you allow them. We can and will overcome because the Lord is on our side. Let’s rejoice in the God who watches over and protects us.
4. We can rejoice in the day of victory.
“All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the Lord I will destroy them” (Psalm 118:10).
You can rejoice because God will give you victory. We should always remember we are never surrounded by our enemy; our enemy is surrounded by God. Because the Lord is with you, there is victory in your future, so rejoice.
5. We can rejoice in the day of salvation.
“The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation” (Psalm 118:14).
You should rejoice every day because you have salvation. Salvation is part of the reason you have victory, and why you will ultimately overcome. Even if the worst happens in this life, which is death, we have the promise and hope of eternal life because of our salvation. For this reason, whether in life or in death, we can rejoice.
6. We can rejoice in the day of chastening.
“The Lord has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death” (Psalm 118:18).
I know we don’t like the Lord’s chastening, but he does this because he loves us.
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
Just as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).
Rejoice today in his chastening because it is a reminder of how much God loves you.
7. We can rejoice in the day of righteousness.
“Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter” (Psalm 118:19-20).
You can rejoice in Christ’s righteousness every day because when God looks at you, that is what he sees. Yes, we make mistakes and poor decisions but that doesn’t remove the fact that you have exchanged your sinfulness for Christ’s righteousness, so rejoice.
8. We can rejoice in the day of answered prayer.
“I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation” (Psalm 118:21).
Just like we rejoice because God hears us, we can rejoice because he answers prayer. This does not mean he always answers the way you want, but he always answers, so rejoice.
9. We can rejoice in the day of our Savior.
“The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:22).
Finally, we can rejoice in our Savior. Jesus is our salvation and though many reject him now, he will one day stand alone as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Because you are on his side, you can rejoice because you are on the winning team.
Remember This Verse
If you are going to be honest, there are times where you don’t feel like rejoicing or being glad. When those moments come, remember this chapter and this verse. Rejoicing is a common theme and instruction throughout Scripture, and rejoicing should not be restricted by your current situation, but should transcend your immediate situation.
Let’s follow the encouragement of Psalm 118:24 and rejoice in the Lord every day. After all this is the day the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Molchanovdmitry
