When I started writing on this topic I had that old Christian song - This is the Day - in my mind. I haven’t sung that song for years - and if you are a young mum you may not even know what I’m talking about. So I went on Youtube (as you do these days) and the first find was just precious. To be honest, after watching this little clip with this old chorus in the background there may be no reason for me to write any more.
This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made
That the Lord has made We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it And be glad in it For this is the the day that the Lord has made We will rejoice and be glad in it This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.
If you’ve been able to play that you will now have a catchy little tune running through your head - but the thing that really made me smile was the photos. Family life photos showing the joy of being together. I really couldn’t have found a more relevant clip to share with you. I hope it made you smile.
The song comes from verses in Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. So often as parenting, this is not our cry. We wake up with the words - Good Lord! It’s morning! Instead of Good morning Lord! And by the end of the day we just want it all packed away. How can we join in with the Psalmist and say - let us rejoice and be glad in it. Ironically this Psalm is not written in good days. It is easy to take a catchy Bible verse out of context - so I scrolled back to see what what going on in the earlier verses. There is trouble afoot - Though the Psalmist starts with “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever” he quickly moves on to talking about his distress. V.5 Out of distress I called on the Lord - and he answered me and set me free. V.8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man (and v9 - or to trust in princes) V.13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. And He comes to the conclusion - v21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. V.23 This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. V.24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. As I read through that I can certainly connect it to the ups and downs of a mother’s day. Days can be hard, it seems like the world is against us (or at least our kids are), we live in distress, overwhelm, and exhaustion. 
First of all Psalm 118 is talking about our spiritual needs - and the promise of a Saviour, and the rejoicing because of that Saviour. The first thing, the most important thing, that we need to remember when we are overwhelmed with all that has to go on is that it is all about our relationship with Jesus. Rejoice in this day, because Jesus loves you, died for you, rose for you, and sent the Holy Spirit to teach, encourage and support you!
Life doesn’t have to be all roses - and indeed, life recently has been unexpected, confusing and unsettling. But this little song, this little verse is a call to perspective. Rejoice and be glad in it. Not because everything is wonderful. But because God is in it - God is walking with you in it. God sent Jesus - you are redeemed, restored, repurposed! 
Learn to Rejoice
Rejoicing is a choice. Our choices come from our heart - from the things that we believe. So in the middle of a bad or hard day what do we believe? Do we believe we are doing this alone? But Jesus said, He will never leave us. Do we believe we are not able to do this? But God says, He equips us Do we believe that our kids are little horrors? But God says, our children are a blessing, made in his image When we see God’s handprint in every situation that we find ourselves in - we can rejoice. We don’t have to rejoice for the circumstance - we are rejoicing because of God. We are rejoicing because God is with us, He loves us, He empowers us, He gives wisdom. We are rejoicing because God is God. He is all powerful, all knowing, all present. We are rejoicing because He is our creator, saviour, master, provider, healer. We are rejoicing because God is love, He is good, faithful, involved, righteous, generous and so forth. Rejoice because this is the day that God has given you to walk with him. Now go back and watch that video clip again, and let the joy of the Lord wash your soul as you face another day with your family. A day that the Lord has made.
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