Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” (Psalm 90:13-17 KJV)
Have you ever had one of those days . . . Yeah, sure you have. We all have days that we wish would have passed us by. When something goes awry early, like cutting yourself shaving, we superstitiously say, “O no, this is gonna be a bad day.”
And like every self-fulfilling prophecy, things go down hill after that. The point is: maybe we jump too quick in proclaiming “bad” on the day. What about our spirit and attitude? Are we cheerful and encouraging? Is breakfast good and nutritious? Did the spouse hug us lovingly and kiss us excitedly saying how much he/she loves us? Whew, the day might not be so bad after all!
Outside the autumn air is crisp but not harsh. A whistle comes to our lips as we encounter smiles and good morning nods all around us. As we stop for our morning cup, we discover that our favorite drink is on sale. Oh, yeah, the day is improving with each minute. We are rejoicing over the little things that affect our moods.
Just before we get out of the car at work, it dawns upon us. God’s mercy is satisfying! We rejoice and are glad all of our days because of his grace. And the silent prayer comes: O Lord, make us glad despite the days of trouble and illness and sorrow. Let happiness and joy overcome all the evil that has afflicted us. Bless us and our children with your grace and salvation.
Let’s remember Mother’s wisdom: “If you look around there’s always someone who has it worse than you.” In addition, if we look carefully, we will discover that every day has elements of good and bad in it. Perhaps this is God’s way of establishing his work in us.
Dear Father, thank you for your mercy and grace. May the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. May your work be established in us and bless our work for your glory. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be courageous today in the beauty of the Lord,