This is your day!

This morning I had to proctor an exam for elementary students. It required complete silence for over 2 hours. No cell phone, no book, no food, no water...nothing! I just knew that God was going to give me this long word to share with you today to keep me busy. Instead, I kept hearing one familiar line over and over again. "This is the day that the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps. 118:24, NLT) In all honesty, I kind of brushed it off, not thinking that was what He wanted me to say. When I finally sat down to write, I was still hearing that same line so I pulled it up in the Bible and the version happened to be the NIV and this is what it said. "The Lord has done it this very day, let us rejoice today and be glad."

Some of you have been going through some tests in your life. You have had to keep the faith when every other voice and circumstance has been saying give up. Some of you have been asked to stretch beyond what you believe your capacity is and it has caused you to feel uncomfortable. Some of you have been waiting for a breakthrough that seems like it is never coming and you have had to trust what you couldn't see. Today, God wanted me to tell you that it's time to rejoice and be glad. He wanted me to remind you that He has it all under control. You see, if you look at both versions of that scripture that I referenced, it is in the past tense. What does that mean? Simple, it is already done! Instead of worrying about the outcome, rejoice in the victory! Instead of questioning whether you can handle the assignment, rejoice in the completion! Instead of worrying about the shift, rejoice in the manifested promise! The Lord has done it!

Abraham is one of my favorite men in the Bible. Do you remember what happened with him? “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.  “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him;” (Gen. 12: 1-4a, NIV)) God promised him some big things and then sent him on a journey that he had no control over. He was on a complete faith walk. Abraham went through tests, delayed promises, and challenges to his faith but he kept his eyes on the promise that God gave him in the very beginning. When it was all said and done, Abraham was blessed by the Lord and “he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life.” (Gen. 25: 8 NLT). What’s my point? Abraham did not always know what was coming next. He was required to trust God through some extremely challenging experiences. Sometimes, he did well and sometimes he missed the mark but in the end, God did what He promised. His challenges helped to make him. God used every circumstance and test to make him the father of the faith that you know him to be.

You see, God has your situation under control. You don’t have to figure it out or fix it up. You just have to trust that God has seen it through to completion. Today, you can rejoice and be glad that He is taking your struggles and building strength. He is taking your challenges and creating opportunities. He is taking your fear and rebuilding your faith. All you have to do is rejoice and be glad in the finished work of Christ! So I say to you with great confidence, “The Lord has done it this very day, let us rejoice today and be glad”!

Amen…