Just Do It

This is the day that the Lord has made……I’ll rejoice if I get my promotion. What? That’s not what it says? That’s not how the phrase goes? That’s not what the Bible says? Ok. Sorry. Let me try it again. *clears throat* This is the day that the Lord has made!…we will rejoice if nothing bad happens and/or nobody gets on our nerves. Still wrong? Dag nabit! Shucks! Ok, give me one more try, k? Ummmmmm…..this is the day that the Lord has made (that’s right, right? cool)….we will rejoice & be glad in it. That’s it? That’s….that’s right? Hmmmm…that’s interesting. Why don’t we act like that then?

​When I ran across this verse a few days ago, I saw it in a new light. I’m a church kid. I’ve been quoting that verse all of my life. I’ve been singing old and new school songs about that verse….and I’ve missed the point all of this time. Let’s lay it out, k? It’s Psalm 118:24: “This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (NKJV) Where in that verse is there wiggle room for your circumstance? Where is the space for you to fill in your own conditions or clauses? Nowhere. Nowhere. That verse simply says ‘since this is a day that God has created, I’m going to rejoice & be glad in it’. It doesn’t say ‘we will rejoice if all goes well’ or ‘we will rejoice & be glad if they don’t get on my nerves at work’; “we will rejoice and be glad in it (PERIOD)”.

I think that so often, we quote this verse, and forget that it’s a verse. I was lowkey shocked when I first realized that it was a verse. I thought it was just a church phrase. You know, yet another thing that we say to pump the people up when it’s time to start service. Imagine my surprise when I found out in was in the grand ol b-i-b-l-e! It’s not some random phrase that a church mother made up, it’s in God’s word. The word we’re supposed to live by. The word we’re supposed to follow. The word that’s supposed to be a lamp to our feet & a light to our path. Yet, so often, we treat it like it’s a Sunday morning or Bible Study intro, and brush past it once it’s used. 

This. Today. This is the day that the Lord has made. So regardless of what happens, regardless of if it works out the way I think it should, regardless of the storm, I’m going to rejoice, and be glad. Why? Because He created this day, and allowed me to see it. He didn’t let me die in the storm. He’s carried me into this day, when He really didn’t have to. He’s created ways that I didn’t know existed. So if I don’t do anything else today, I’m going to rejoice, and I’m going to be glad simply because this….this is the day that the Lord has made. That’s what this verse means to me.

There are other verses that…don’t really give us any other options; verses that tell us to....just do it. For example, “trust in the Lord will all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding…” that’s it. Just trust God, and don’t depend on the small amount of knowledge that you have. So, without doing deep research, we have 2 'just do it' moments in the Bible: Trust in God (not yourself), and rejoice…simply because it’s a day He’s created. How many times have you instead your own conditions and clauses into these verses? Maybe not verbally, but in the simple ways that you live your life. When you woke up this morning, did you rejoice at all? Were you glad that you made it into this day? Or did you sigh because you had to go to work, and you really don’t like your job? Orrrrrr did you roll over and check your phone to catch up on all of the oh so important information you missed? Have you rejoiced at all in this day? Have you spoken gladness over yourself at all in this day? Or have you allowed your circumstances to control your mindset?

So often we allow our circumstances to speak over us more than we speak over ourselves. We allow what we do, how much we make, who we work with, what our family looks/acts like, etc. to determine how we feel and if we have reason to rejoice. Then, we speak negatively about situations (and ourselves) and are surprised when what we say becomes what we see. I’d encourage you to start speaking better things over your life, make room for those better things, and watch God work. If you wake up dreading the thought of going to work, work won’t get any better. Sometimes, it’s not the circumstance that needs to change, it’s our outlook that needs to change. 

My outlook? Say what you want, but I’m blessed. I’m not blessed because it’s the thing to say; being blessed is part of my identity. Take my degree, and I’m still blessed. Take me out of law school, and I’m still blessed. Think what you want, do what you please, and I’m still blessed. Ignore every word I say, and guess what? Valencia is still blessed. I’m blessed beyond comprehension. I’m blessed without boundaries. I’m blessed in the mountain, and I’m blessed in my deepest of valleys. I’m blessed when I walk in a door and even more blessed when I walk out. I. am. BLESSED…and because I’m blessed, I completely recognize that this is the day that the Lord has made, so if I don’t do anything else, I will rejoice and be glad in all of it. How about you? 

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