Each Day is a Gift

Psalm 118:24
This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

I just returned from a trip to Florida. My husband and I went down to visit our daughter and her husband to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. It was a wonderful trip for many reasons, but while we were there we celebrated Thanksgiving in the traditional way - the big turkey dinner with all of the decorations that we associate with Thanksgiving.

Knowing that we were not going to see them again for the Christmas holidays, we had decided ahead of time to also celebrate Christmas while we were there. So, the next day we took down the Thanksgiving candles and put up the Christmas decorations. Our son-in-law went and got the tree and we decorated it. We wrapped packages and put them under the tree. And that evening we sat down to a wonderful Christmas dinner and read the Christmas story from the Word of God before listening to Christmas carols and opening our gifts.

It felt so much like Christmas! Well, we woke up the next morning and discovered if we had Thanksgiving and Christmas, then surely this must be New Year's. So, we had Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's three days in a row. I was reminded after that that to a great extent, every day is what you make it.

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 118:24,"This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." You know, you can see every day as a burden - as something you have just got to get through - or you can see it as the Psalmist did, as a day that the Lord has made for you. That is some gift that He has given to you as an opportunity for Him to work in your life! That should make you rejoice and be glad!

I know at times life does not seem very joyful, and having another day may seem kind of heavy. In those times, remember God is there with you. Make that your joy in that day. Make it your object to see this new day as a day in which He is going to come to you, to minister to you, and help you through it.

Each day is what you make it to - a joy or a burden, an opportunity or a hindrance. Let each day be the day the Lord has made for you. Accept it as His gift. Thank Him for it and rejoice!

By Dr. Ann Shorb

Find out more about Christian counseling.

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