Psalm 118:24 – This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

It happens all the time, especially in that discount department store. "Have a Good Day", they say with eyes already on the next customer, your face and your needs already forgotten. "Right, I'll have a nice day." And we go growling on our way with no more sincerity in the greeting or the response than what you would get out of a turnip.

All this is a far cry from the exultant cry of the psalmist:

"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it."

"Good day" originated from "God's day", a blessing on another, a hope for another to be grace-filled through the events of the day and courtesy and custom had us greet each other wishing the best and meaning what we said.

To the Hebrews it was Shalom, a greeting of peace and wholeness and health;

To the Ukrainians it was "Slava Yesusu Christu"- "glory be to Jesus Christ", to which the hearer responded "Slava Naveki" meaning "for ever and ever".

Blessings on the day. We don't think of blessing and being blessed much. Maybe that's why we feel we're not, not blessed, that is. Few of us go around counting our many blessings, naming them one by one, surprised at what the Lord has done. No, we grumble our way from Monday to Friday, get together to complain on the week-end and then wonder on Monday morning how we are going to make it through the week.

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Prayer: God of the new day: We greet you with love-filled hearts in this moment of our day. We thank you for the gift of this day. Help us rejoice and be glad in it. Amen.

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About the author:

Kenn Stright <kennethstright@yahoo.ca>
West Petpeswick, Nova Scotia, Canada
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