Each day last week I tried to focus on one or more specific things that I would celebrate that day to keep my mind on Psalm 118:24–

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

I found that waking up offering specific thanks to the Lord and looking for things throughout the day to rejoice and be glad in really made a difference. I usually wake up happy and pretty rested and get the day going with Tyler, but I think I needed to be reminding myself that each day is a gift from Him and that I must rejoice in it to deepen my joy and productivity in God each day. What are you rejoicing in today?

Saturday and Sunday were wonderful times of celebration with our church family. Sunday afternoon we gathered for some baptisms and about 50 people came into the little pool wanting to proclaim their love for the Lord and follow in obedience to Him. Fourteen of those people were high school students and that was so encouraging to see!

At the same time this weekend, I was trying hard to rejoice and be glad, I was allowing some things to weigh me down. The end of last week I had a difficult conversation with a friend and at the end of it I felt, as the Psalmist says, “downcast.” But I couldn’t just muster up happiness to replace it, I needed to look up.

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”

My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42

This is the Psalm Bobby taught on this weekend. The Lord is so good to bring that exhortation along right when I needed it! One thing Bobby said really cut to my heart, “It’s not about how you feel, but what is true about God.” So often I can get caught up in justifying myself because of my feelings but really I need to go first to what is true about God, and then let Him define the rest of the situation and my response. I really like how the Psalmist tells himself, “Put your hope in God…” I need to start talking to myself and reminding myself to look up even when life seems down. Nothing is too big or too hard for the Lord.