The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:22-24)
A short meditation on these verses. A short revisiting of a familiar song. A profound awakening to the worthiness of our God and the greatness of what He has done.
I remember singing as a child: "This is the day, this is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. I will rejoice, I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it!" A great song. And it's so catchy that it comes back to me at random moments (sometimes upon hearing the word "rejoice;" sometimes upon thinking upon the "day" ahead of me). I would sing it as a kind of spiritual pep talk, a sort of "cheer up - God has made today!" or "cheer up - God is in control of this day!". All true. So true. But...actually missing the greatness, the profundity, the life-transforming reality of what these lines actually mean!
A few days ago I read Psalm 118 and was actually surprised to see these familiar lines pop up, "This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Hello, I thought, this is a strange context! I'm equally as familiar with the lines that precede it - they show up in 1st Peter 2:7, in reference to Christ who was rejected by men and the religious leaders of the day, but accepted by God as "the corner stone," the foundation and beginning and redemption of the spiritual house and community of the people of God. So why and how do these two go together?
How much I have been missing out on when the rejoicing song has popped into my head! The day that the Lord has made is not just a generic "any day" is God's day. The day in fact is THE day of our salvation. It is the day which God has orchestrated from the foundation of the world to redeem, buy back, save, restore, make acceptable His people. This is the day that we are to rejoice in. This is the day that we are to be glad in. Because this is the day that God has made, that He has designed and carried out and accomplished for us. And only through this day can we be bought and brought back to God. What a day!
My challenge to you and to me is that we rejoice in the day of salvation that God has made, that we meditate on and value what the Lord has done - that it be "marvelous in our eyes." May it be that when the song jumps into my head, that it goes beyond the general "God made today" sentiment, but that I am overwhelmed with the reality of the greatness of the salvation God has made for me and the greatness of the God who has made this day of salvation. May we be empowered throughout the day to rejoice in Christ, that He has established our salvation and that He is the acceptable sacrifice to God for us and that He is seated at the right hand of God, reigning. This is our day of salvation.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
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