DAILY BIBLE VERSES AND PRAYER THOUGHTS

A form of "rejoice" is found 286 times in the Bible and a form of "joy" is found 201 times.

MONDAY - VERSES: Deuteronomy 16:11-15 - 'solemn feast' in vs. 15 has changed in meaning. the Hebrew word actually means - sacred feast, a festival, celebrate a feast or holiday. This was not a dreary sad occasion. PRAYER THOUGHT: We were enslaved in sin as Israel was enslaved in Egypt, therefore we should rejoice and thank God for His deliverance.

TUESDAY - VERSES: 1 Kings 1:40-46 - People rejoiced when Solomon became king. We should rejoice that Jesus is our king. Only Solomon's rival and his cronies were upset. Only those who want to rule themselves will refuse to rejoice over Jesus' kingship. PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God and rejoice that we have a wise, merciful, loving, and eternal king.

WEDNESDAY - VERSES: Job 31:24-30; 1 Corinthians 13:6- Do not rejoice in suffering or in blessings as though you accomplished them. PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask for strength to rejoice for the right things and not evil things.

THURSDAY - VERSES: Luke 15:4-10 - Finding anything that was lost brings rejoicing, doubly so when people who are spiritually lost are found, or those who have wandered away are returned. PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God for the gospel and its saving power.

FRIDAY - VERSES: John 16:20-22; Acts 16:33-34; Philippians 2:16-18;4:4 - If there is anything worth rejoicing over it is that we are in Christ and our sins are forgiven and we can be of service to him. PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask for help to rejoice in the Lord every day.

SATURDAY - VERSES: Nehemiah 12:27-31,38-46 The people rejoiced at the restoration of the wall around Jerusalem. PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God for those who are striving for the restoration of the New Testament church and the unity of the faith.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Daily read over this material and read or sing the song.

2. Place the scripture where you will see it each day.

3. Think of times you have awakened with joy in your heart and consider why you did.

4. Write down the ways you have rejoiced each day.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH REGIMEN - WEEK 44

JOY - 5-26-13 to 6-1-13

SCRIPTURE - Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

COMMENT – Everyday we should wake up and realize that the Lord has made this day and since he is my Lord and Master, I will rejoice and be glad in this day he has made.

SONG – HE HAS MADE ME GLAD

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter His gates with praise. I will say this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice for He has made me glad. He has made me glad, He has made me glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad. He has made me glad, He has made me glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad.

THOUGHTS

Since every day is a gift from God, We should live each one enthusiastically for Him.

J J J J J J J J J J J J If you don't think everyday is a great one…try missing one of them!

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Each day I get up and the first thing I do is read the obituary. If I don't find my name there, I rejoice and praise God for another day.

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Don't wait. It could result in something you regret for the rest of your days. I realized this anew when I read an article that appeared in mid-April back in '85 in the Los Angeles Times. If it doesn't get you off the dime, nothing will. A lady named Ann Wells writes:

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package.

"This," he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached.

"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least eight or nine years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion."

He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me.

"Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.

I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special event -- such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes I tell myself that it is special.

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A common greeting of these days is, "How are you?" The stereotype reply is, "Fine, and how are you?" I frequently give this reply to my friends who would be dismayed and bored if I tried to tell them the truth, for the edition of this jalopy which I call my body is getting worse and worse, and my friends recognize it and make mental note, "He is slipping fast." No one comments on the obvious and colossal lie that it is. This jalopy is getting into bad condition. The steering gear is so worn and wobbly that I have to use a cane to keep it from running off the road. The headlights are so dim that they show up only about a half or a third as much as they used to. The horn is a mere squawk. I only get about a tenth of the speed out of it that it gave a few years ago. And as for climbing hills, or even gentler slopes, the less said the better. It is clear that it is going to have to be junked one of these days. But the real I who lives inside this jalopy is a different story. God is much more real and his truth shines more brightly. The companionship of Christ is more constant through His Holy Spirit, and He holds out a hope for a new model, after this jalopy is junked. This, I think, is what Paul had in mind when he spoke of the reward that God, the righteous judge, would give him on that day. I think it is also what he was writing to the Philippians about his own body which was in a hazardous state, "I rejoice and I intend to rejoice. I hope all of you will rejoice with me." Paul labeled his new model spiritual and eternal, as compared with our present model, physical and decaying. This then is the lively hope that I can have. I know I do not deserve a new model, and if God, the righteous judge, determines that I should not have it, that is all right too. In any case, righteous judge is His middle name, sandwiched between His first and last names, both of which are LOVE. So, I am fine, thank you. How are you? By Dr. Joseph LeRoy Dodds to his granddaughter, Margo.

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THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE

INTRODUCTION - PSALM 118:19-24

TRANSITION - REJOICE IN THE FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHECY - MATTHEW 21:33-46

II. BECAUSE OF THAT DAY SALVATION CAME - ACTS 4:1-12

III. BECAUSE OF THAT DAY WE BECAME ELIGIBLE TO BE MEMBERS OF GOD'S HOUSEHOLD - EPHESIANS 2:19-22

IV. BECAUSE OF THAT DAY WE BECAME A PART OF THE SAME BUILDING – 1 PETER 2:1-10

CONCLUSION - PSALMS 74:16; 136:7-9; 145:2; TITUS 2:14; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:15, 21

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Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee. - Michel de Montaigne

THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE

SCRIPTURE - (Psa 118:19-24) Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. {20} This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter. {21} I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. {22} The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. {23} This was the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. {24} This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

INTRODUCTION

A. What Comes to Mind When You Hear "This Is the Day the Lord Has Made; We Will Rejoice and Be Glad in It?"

B. As I Was Preparing for this Sermon, I Couldn't Find Much on "This Is the Day the Lord Has Made" That Supported the Idea of this Referring to Each and Every Day Being Made by God.

1. I Believe God Does Make Each Day and We Should Rejoice in Everyone of Them.

2. But I Couldn't Find Many Other Scriptures to Apply to this Concept.

3. So I Went Back to the Context and Discovered the True Meaning of this Verse.

C. In the Context "The Day" Is Referring to the Day God Made Jesus the Chief Cornerstone - {22} The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. {23} This was the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. {24} This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

TRANSITION - REJOICE IN THE FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHECY - (Mat 21:33-46) "Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. {34} "Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. {35} "And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. {36} "Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. {37} "Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' {38} "But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' {39} "So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. {40} "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?" {41} They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons." {42} Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'? {43} "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. {44} "And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder." {45} Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. {46} But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

II. BECAUSE OF THAT DAY SALVATION CAME - (Acts 4:1-12) Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, {2} being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. {3} And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. {4} However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. {5} And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, {6} as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. {7} And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" {8} Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: {9} "If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, {10} "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. {11} "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' {12} "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

III. BECAUSE OF THAT DAY WE BECAME ELIGIBLE TO BE MEMBERS OF GOD'S HOUSEHOLD - (Eph 2:19-22) Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, {20} having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, {21} in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, {22} in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

IV. BECAUSE OF THAT DAY WE BECAME A PART OF THE SAME BUILDING – (1 Pet 2:1-10) Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, {2} as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, {3} if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. {4} Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, {5} you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. {6} Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame." {7} Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," {8} and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. {9} But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; {10} who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

CONCLUSION

A. WE SHOULD REJOICE BECAUSE OF THE DAY JESUS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE OF THE BUILDING, THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

B. DAVID REJOICED IN EACH DAY THE LORD MADE

1. (Psa 74:16) The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.

2. (Psa 136:7-9) To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever; {8} The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; {9} The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.

3. (Psa 145:2) Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

C. WE SHOULD REJOICE EACH DAY BECAUSE EACH DAY WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT JESUS TOOK OUR PLACE ON THE CROSS, DYING THE DEATH WE SHOULD HAVE DIED

1. (Titus 2:14) who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

2. (2 Cor 5:21) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

3. (2 Cor 5:15) and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.