Rejoice and Be Glad

This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24 NKJV

“Welcome to Moes!” This is the greeting that is shouted across the restaurant from the staff behind the counter when you enter the door. It makes you feel glad that you are there and appreciated. By the way, if you have never been to the restaurant, it is shouted, not just a private greeting. Everyone knows that you just walked in.

Pam and I start most of our days quoting today’s verse. One of us starts the first line, “This is the day the Lord has made…” and the other person has to finish the sentence, “We (I) will rejoice and be glad in it.” Many times this is spoken as a confession to help us encourage ourselves from fatigue or when we are facing a difficult day.

This morning, I dug a little deeper into the response portion – rejoice and be glad. The Hebrew word for rejoice is גִּיל giyl pronounced Geel – (properly) to spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion). I love this. Spin around carries the idea of a strong movement into a different direction. It’s the image that I see when I hear the words “Touch down!”. In American football the fans erupt from sitting to standing and jumping up with shouts of joy and excitement.

To be sure, if I physically responded with that much excitement when I finished the verse, I think I would scare Pam with my response. The point is the word rejoice anticipates an emotional/physical response, not a stoic understanding of the word. The rejoicing is rooted in God’s covenantal actions toward us and His creation. God made this day from beginning to end. He is the breath in our lungs and our lives. We GET to experience this day loving our creator and savior. Exuberant response is a fitting response to appreciation to the one who made us and loves us.

The second word, ” be glad” is שָׂמַח, Samach, pronounced Samak. It means to cheer up, brighten up or make merry. Not in the text, but I like to think of this as the head adjustment. You know, when the weight of the world makes you walk around with your head down looking at your feet. Then you consciously, intentionally raise your head and eyes up toward heaven and smile. Not because you feel happy, but because you are cheering your body up to be happy. Your “will” is influencing your “mind, emotions and body” to move into a state of appreciation and gladness – rooted in God’s love for you at that moment and throughout your day.

Let’s wrap it up. Rejoicing and being glad are not rooted in circumstances, but rather, the consistent character and love of God. He is good. He loves you, expressing it with the sacrifice of His son Jesus. Let your whole being get involved with rejoicing and gladness. He is more than worthy.

This is the day the Lord has made…your turn…

Blessings Love y’all