“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
That verse is not written for a calm world. It is written for mornings like this one, when people wake up already carrying something. It is not a suggestion, it is a decision. It does not say rejoice when everything is going well. It says this is the day the Lord has made, and because of that, there is a reason to rejoice, even when everything else feels uncertain.
This morning, people are not thinking in general terms, they are thinking about what is right in front of them. Some are dealing with health issues, waiting on results or facing something they did not expect. Others are carrying financial pressure, wondering how to cover what is coming due. Some are dealing with family strain, broken relationships, or children going in the wrong direction. Others are facing addiction, either their own or someone close to them. These are not distant problems, they are personal, and they are present.
At the same time, the world is not quiet. The Middle East remains at the center of attention, with ongoing conflict involving Israel and surrounding nations creating fear of something larger. People are not just watching it, they are feeling the weight of what it could mean. In America, division continues to deepen, with growing voices pushing against law enforcement and authority, creating tension in communities and uncertainty about safety. In California, these pressures become even more personal, with rising costs, safety concerns, and communities that no longer feel as stable as they once did.
And in the middle of all of this, the command remains the same. “I will rejoice and be glad in it.” That does not mean ignoring what is happening. It means choosing a different foundation than what is happening.
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines… yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17–18)
Those words are not spoken in comfort, but in loss. Nothing is working, nothing is certain, and still the response is, “I will rejoice.” That means it is not a feeling; it is a decision.
This is how it works in daily life. Rejoicing does not wait for things to get better. It happens when you wake up with weight already on your chest and choose to turn to God instead of staying there. It happens when the problem is still there, but you bring it to Him instead of trying to carry it alone.
It shows up in the moments that feel the most real. When the bill collector calls and fear hits, I WILL not run or ignore it, I WILL turn to God for direction. When addiction begins to pull and the voice in your head tells you to give in, I WILL stop and seek God for strength instead of feeding what is destroying me. When anxiety starts to take over and your mind will not slow down, I WILL bring those thoughts to Him instead of letting them control me. When conflict rises in my home and everything in me wants to react, I WILL choose His way over my own.
And when the darkness feels overwhelming, when you cannot see clearly and everything feels heavy, that is the moment to seek Him the most. Not later, not when it passes, but right there. That is where the light of God’s Word begins to break through. It may not remove everything at once, but it will give direction, it will steady your mind, and it will remind you that you are not alone in it.
Because this is where it becomes real. It is when I understand who I am bringing my request to. Not to something distant or uncertain, but to the Creator of everything, the One who holds all things together. The King of kings, who has all authority. My Savior, who did not stay removed from struggle but stepped into it, suffered, and overcame it. My Father, who knows me, sees me, and cares for what I am facing.
That is why I can turn to Him. That is why I WILL turn to Him.
It is not pretending things are fine. It is choosing not to let what is wrong define everything. It is one decision at a time to turn, to trust, and to stand on what does not change, even when everything else does.
That is what it means to say, “I WILL rejoice.”