March 30 - The Day God Made

Today's Reading:
2 Chronicles 26:1-28:27
1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8
Psalm 118:17-29 
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Focus Verses:
Psalm 118:13-14; 22-24
13 I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. 14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. - - - 22 The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 23 the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Insight:
It's not unusual to hear someone at a church gathering quote "this is the day the Lord has made" from Psalm 118. It is unusual, however, to hear them quote it with the same meaning the psalmist had in mind. Most times you would think it meant: "Wow, what a nice day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing; it's good to be together on this lovely day that God has given us." But is that what the Psalmist had in mind? Nope.

The "day" the psalmist is talking about is certainly a good one, but exactly what good "day" is he talking about? The day of salvation. The psalmist is talking about the day of deliverance given to us by our faithful and good God whose love endures forever. The psalmist was rejoicing in God's salvation from a national perspective (v. 1), from a faith perspective (vv. 2-3), and a personal perspective (vv. 5-6).

The psalmist understood the need for rescue from sin in order to have peace and fellowship with God (v. 27). In the New Testament, the Apostles picked up on this theme and proclaimed Jesus to be the ultimate deliverer the psalmist was pointing to. This is the day that the Lord has made: the day of salvation through Christ Jesus, who laid down his life for us and conquered death in order that we might have eternal life, peace, and fellowship with God. Let us rejoice and be glad!

Response and Action:
I will give God thanks for the many ways he delivers and saves me. I look to Christ Jesus as the supreme expression of God's faithfulness to save. I will seek to be an instrument of God's faithfulness and grace in the lives of others around me.

O God, thank you for the ways you save and deliver me. Thank you for bringing me through trials and hardships. Thank you for rescuing me from an empty life. Thank you for liberating me from the fear of death. Thank you for saving me and granting me eternal life through Jesus. Thank you for reclaiming my life and renovating my spirit through the indwelling of your Holy Spirit. I rejoice in every day of deliverance you have made! I will rejoice and be glad as I place my complete trust and confidence to keep and save me to the end! Amen.

Spiritual Formation Verses: Acts 4:11-12
11 He is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.' 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Recommended Reading:
How to Read the Psalms
by Tremper Longman