Welcome to a firm foundation presented by Princeton ministries with Dr. Ken Smith. This is Carol Smith, Ken’s wife. Please enjoy.

Scriptures say, this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. A day. Have you ever really thought of what a day is? For most of us, a hurried schedule, a succession of meals, a day of labor. The psalmist said, man goes out into his work and to his labor until the evening. A day. And each day, if we’re fortunate, is finished with sleep. Sleep that comes each evening like a brief death. And in the morning, we are awakened a brief new birth. Every day. A day which the scriptures say is given by God to each of us a divine gift. Each day bathed in dew as it begins with the voices of birds as they would make their sound in the field. Each day brightened by the sun overhead.

Each day having its own seas that would rise and fall to the schedule of God. Each day as trees stand erect, as squirrels leap from branch to branch. Each day has been given to us as a gift. A gift from almighty God. Robert Service, who was the poet laureate of Alaska, penned these words. I’ve stood in some mighty mouthed hollow that’s plumb full of hush to the brim. I’ve watched the mighty sun wallow in crimson and gold and grow dim till the night set the moon a gleaming and the stars tumbled out neck and crop. And I thought that I surely was dreaming with the peace of the world piled on top. There is something of great majesty, of beauty in each day that God has created.

Our text, taken from the book of psalm 118 tells us this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it, each day 24 hours a gift from God himself, a divine gift for us to use. And how strange it is that in the midst of each day we forget the gift and we forget the gift giver. How strange it is that we should look at part or the whole of any day as a wasted day, that we should look upon the day and forget that God has given it to us as a divine gift to be used to his glory. It’s as though each day is an open bank account and credited to your account is 86,400 seconds for you to use as you please. And each day the account is filled.

And with each passing of each minute we either use those to the glory of God or comes closing time. The records are cleared. There is no credit from one day to the next. There is no carryover. We cannot live 1 minute from yesterday. Today we cannot take one squandered hour from today and expect to use it tomorrow. Tomorrow the account will be opened again with a fresh account. 86,400 seconds for you to use. The scripture tells us it is the Lord who has made this day and that we are to rejoice and be glad in the day that God has given to us. I would encourage you, as I encourage myself, to begin each day with this prayer. This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Now, admittedly, there are some days that it is easier to believe that than others. I had a day this week that started at around 06:00. Bye. Had finished a Bible study with a group of men. Spent the morning in the office, counseling, spent the afternoon and various visitations. Spent the evening in two meetings. Came home at about 11:00 to a pile of documents that needed to be signed. And it looked as though there were about 2000 of these things that were needed for the next day. And so up until around midnight, I’m signing my name to the documents. And on days like that, it’s hard to believe that we are to rejoice and to be glad.

But the promise of scripture is that this has been a day that God has made and that we must fight in our own mind to remember this promise and remember this gift, that whatever occurs in any given day has been brought to us by our father, who intends us only good. I spoke with a friend this week, Len Buckman. Some of you may know him. He’s a Christian in his mid fifties. He was out and his wife called him. His father is 80 years old, a farmer, always in health, full of strength and vigor. But for the last several years, his mother has been ill and has frequently gone to the doctor. And so when Len picked up the phone and his wife said, I’m sorry, I’ve got bad news, Len abruptly said, it’s my mother. She’s died. His wife said, your mother?

No, your father died. He was in a tractor. It was unexpected. He never felt a thing. And Len said, you know, Ken, as much as that is a terrible message to hear, I still have a sense of joy, of peace. My father loved the Lord. And isn’t this what we’re talking about? Talking about as Christians, that our life is just the entrance into eternity? This is the day today that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it, the verse is a command that once we understand that it is God who has created this day, and as we would draw its parallel in the New Testament that all things work together for good.

To those who love God and are called according to his purpose, that we would see that everything that happens in the course of the 24 hours that God has given us is for our good. We may not totally understand how it is for our good, but the promise is that God has made this day, and because he has made it, we will rejoice and be glad in it, both good days and bad days, because that is only our perspective. For God, every day of the believer is a good day that he is working his plan in your life and mine. A teacher said to a student, before you’re finished with life, the world will do one of three things with you.

The world will either make your heart very hard, or the world will make your heart very soft, or the world will break your heart. And as each day goes by, unseen by the natural man, is your heart either growing softer through the Lord or growing harder through the impact of the world in your life? And I believe that our text holds the key to understanding if your heart will either be broken by this world, be hardened by this world, or if your heart will be softened.

And it has to do with a profound belief that this is the day that the Lord has made, that this is not simply an extension of some chance performance of nature, that life is not simply the random events that make no sense, but according to scripture, that each day has been put into place by God himself, and that whatever happens, this day is God’s best for you and me, for which he intends good. Zig Ziglar is a Christian businessman, and he speaks at many conventions. He recently told about being in Kansas City, and he came to the airport and he was to catch the 03:00 plane from Kansas City to Dallas. And he was there an hour early.

And as he came and stood in line, it was a long line, and he noticed and anticipated that an agent was going to open a new line. So he waited as that sign went from closed to open, and he was the first one, like a bunny rabbit, over to that line. And he stood there, and he got all of his tickets out, and he was greeted by the ticket agent, who said, I’m sorry, but the 03:00 flight to Dallas has been cancelled. It won’t leave until 06:05. And Ziglar said, fantastic. And she said, what? He said, fantastic. She said, I’ve been working this line a long time, but I have never heard anybody say fantastic to a cancelled flight. Why would you say fantastic? He said, that’s easy. He said, there’s only one of three reasons. Why anybody would cancel a flight to Dallas.

First, there’s got to be something wrong with the plane. If it’s not a problem with the plane, it must be a problem with the pilot. And if it’s not a problem with the pilot, then it must be the weather. And if any one of those three things is wrong, I’m glad to be down here and not up there. Fantastic. She said, but the next flight is 06:05. Fantastic. And she said, why would you still say it’s a. He said, well, that’s easy. Do you know that at this very hour around the world, there are people who are starving to death? There are people right now who are cold. And here I am in this beautiful facility in Kansas City, and it’s cold out there, and I’m warm in here.

And there’s a little coffee shop down there that I noticed, and I plan to get a cup of coffee. I say, this is fantastic. I’m going to use these next 4 hours to do a little bit of work, and then I’m going to get on that 605 to Dallas. Fantastic. Now, somebody asked him, zig, do you really. Did you really say that? He said, like we say down south. Scout’s honor, I said it. Well, zig, did you really believe it? He said, why, of course not. At least not at first. But I do believe that God doesn’t delay a plane if there isn’t some good to be found in it. Now, he could have stood before that ticket agent, and he could have said, what do you mean you’ve cancelled this flight? Why? I’ve been a passenger on this flight for years.

I want to talk to your supervisor. I want to know why this flight was cancelled. There was no warning. Why didn’t you call before? As a matter of fact, I called before, and they said the flight was going. I want to talk to the supervisor. Why? There are three planes out on that Runway. Can’t you fuel one of them up and bring them out here and bring me to Dallas? And you know what she would say to him? The next flight leaves at 06:05. He could have said, why? You don’t understand. My family is waiting for me. My kids haven’t seen me in five days. You don’t know what this has done to my schedule. Can’t you please find a way for me to get to Dallas? And you know what she would have said? The flight leaves at 06:05.

This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. See, either we respond to the events of the day or we react to them. And if you have ever taken a medicine and the doctor has said to, you’re having a reaction, that’s not good news. It means it’s not working. We have to change the prescription. But if he says to you, why this drug? It is really responding very well in your body, then we know that we will be well in a matter of days. The scripture says that each day has been created by goddess, and either we will react to it or we will respond to it and believe that backstage, God, as the director is working all things for our good.

Finally, our text tells us that it is God’s intent that we would have a life that is full of gladness and rejoicing. We will rejoice and we will be glad, says the text. Our young people just recently completed a confirmation class. The first question that they learned what is the chief end of man? The answer, the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Are you enjoying God? Is there a joyous that Colors each day as you face your schedule, the children, the workload at the foundation? Is there a joy and a gladness, believing that God is working all things for your good? It’s important to realize that the primary reason that so many Christians do not believe that this is true is because we have fallen to the first lie of Satan.

Do you remember when Satan came to Eve, and in that temptation, he presented that first lie? If you eat of this fruit, surely you will not die. And she was deceived, and she ate. And Adam was deceived, and he ate. The lie that Satan has placed in the face of Christians is this simple lie, that God does not intend you good, but that Satan intends good for you. And so we are tempted. Shall I believe the Lord and his promises, or shall I believe Satan and his temptations? And there have been many who have fallen, many who have believed that Satan would give you happiness and joy and gladness. And the scriptures make it very clear that the only thing that would come from Satan is sin and regret. But the things that come from Jesus Christ are joy and gladness.

In this past week, the shadow of death has fallen on five families in this church. In this week, there has been bad news that some of you have heard. In this week, there have been financial concerns that you face. Do you believe the lie of Satan? Who would tempt you to resolve those problems? Apart from the promises of the Lord or do you believe, as the psalmist said, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in this day. Let us pray. Our God and our father, we thank you for this truth that each day has been fashioned by your hand, that in each fabric of each day are to be found those things which would bring joy and gladness.

We ask that this text would be upon our mind as we would face the difficulties and the trials of each day, and that we would rise in the morning and lay our head upon the pillow each evening, remembering that this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. For Jesus sake. Amen.

Thank you for listening to a firm foundation presented by Princeton Ministries. This programming is supported by you, the listener. You may go to our website, princetonministries.org, or send your donation to Princeton Ministries Post Office Box 2171, Princeton, New Jersey 08543. That’s Princeton Ministries Post Office Box 2171, Princeton, New Jersey 08543. The Lord bless you and Dr. Smith looks forward to hearing from you.