Every Day Is THE Day
Yael Eckstein | January 16, 2023
This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. —Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)
Today, I continue with a new devotional series on joy, simcha — the joy found in the grateful acceptance and celebration of each day God has given to us. Join me as we explore teachings on the joy found in connecting with God and with others.
Mrs. Jones was 92 years old as she was brought to the nursing home where she would live out her final years. After sitting patiently in the lobby, she was told that her room was ready. An attendant approached to bring her to her room.
As she slowly stood up and edged her walker toward the elevator, he described the room to her. “I love it!” she exclaimed enthusiastically, startling the attendant. “But Mrs. Jones, you haven’t even seen it yet!” the man replied. “That has nothing to do with it,” she said.
The elderly woman continued: “Joy is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged… it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day.”
This attitude of seeing every day as a wonderful gift is not easy for many of us. Many people live their entire lives without ever knowing the kind of joy that such gratitude brings. But as Mrs. Jones teaches us, we can choose to think and feel this way — no matter how old or young we may be, no matter how rich or poor, no matter our circumstances.
Every Day Is THE Day
Psalm 118 states, “This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” The Hebrew for “This is the day,” zeh hayom, is emphatic. Essentially, it reads: “This is THE day!”
The Jewish sages teach that this verse applies to every single day of our lives. Every day when we wake up, we have to look at “this very day” as “The Day.”
Every day is the day that “the LORD has made.” He has created everything in this day exactly as it should be. We must “rejoice and be glad in it” because it is a gift from God for us to live and enjoy. As has been said many times, today is His gift to us — that’s why we call it the present!
Your Turn:
Remember — it’s not about how the things in our lives are arranged; it’s about how we arrange the things in our minds. Let’s choose to fill every day with joy!