Psalm 118:24: This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24: Rejoice in the Day the Lord Has Made
Introduction
Psalm 118:24 is a familiar and encouraging declaration: “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The verse invites God’s people to respond to His faithfulness with joy and gratitude.
Although the verse is often used as a general encouragement to appreciate each new day, its immediate context gives it a deeper meaning. Psalm 118 is a psalm of thanksgiving that celebrates God’s steadfast love, His deliverance, and His salvation. The “day” in verse 24 is connected with God’s saving action and the joyful response of His people.
The verse therefore does not simply say that every day will be easy or pleasant. It calls God’s people to recognize God’s work and respond with worship and gladness.
The Bible Passage
Psalm 118:24 calls God’s people to recognize that the day before them belongs to the Lord and to respond with rejoicing.
The emphasis is not primarily on human control over circumstances. The day is described as something God has made.
The appropriate response is therefore gratitude and gladness.
This does not mean Christians must feel happy every moment or deny grief, difficulty, or disappointment. Biblical rejoicing can exist alongside difficult circumstances because its foundation is God rather than changing emotions.
The verse directs our attention away from merely asking whether today is going according to our plans and toward recognizing God’s sovereignty and faithfulness.
Biblical Context
Psalm 118 is the final psalm in the group commonly called the Egyptian Hallel, Psalms 113–118, which were associated with Israel’s worship and remembrance of God’s deliverance.
Psalm 118 repeatedly emphasizes God’s steadfast love. It begins and ends with the declaration that His steadfast love endures forever.
The psalm also describes distress, prayer, God’s answer, deliverance, and thanksgiving.
The psalmist says that he called upon the Lord in distress and that the Lord answered him. He describes the Lord as his strength, song, and salvation.
Verses 19–21 speak about entering the gates of righteousness and giving thanks because God has answered and become salvation.
Then verses 22–23 introduce the well-known image of the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone. Immediately afterward comes the declaration of verse 24: the day is one that the Lord has made, and God’s people are called to rejoice.
The following verses continue with celebration and a prayer for salvation and prosperity, followed by blessing and thanksgiving.
The immediate context therefore connects verse 24 with God’s deliverance and saving work, rather than presenting it merely as a general statement about the passage of time.
The New Testament later applies the “stone” imagery of Psalm 118:22 to Jesus Christ, particularly in relation to His rejection and exaltation.
Meaning of the Passage
“This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made”
The statement recognizes God’s sovereign involvement in the events being celebrated.
The psalmist is responding to what God has done. The “day” is not presented as an ordinary date detached from God’s activity. It is a day of God’s saving action and therefore a day for thanksgiving.
For Christians, this teaches an important principle: our lives are not ultimately defined only by circumstances or our own plans.
Every day provides an opportunity to recognize God’s goodness, remember His faithfulness, and live before Him.
“Let Us Rejoice and Be Glad”
The response to God’s work is joy.
This joy is not necessarily the same as constant emotional happiness. Biblical rejoicing is rooted in God and His actions.
A person can experience sorrow and still have reasons to give thanks to God. The Psalms themselves demonstrate this. Psalm 118 contains references to distress and opposition, yet it also contains strong declarations of God’s faithfulness.
Therefore, rejoicing does not require pretending that difficulties are absent.
It means choosing to recognize God’s goodness even when circumstances are complicated.
What It Teaches About God
Psalm 118:24 teaches us to see God as the One who acts in history and deserves thanksgiving.
The surrounding psalm repeatedly celebrates God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.
God is also portrayed as the One who hears His people’s cries and provides salvation.
The verse does not present God as distant from the lives of His people. The psalmist’s testimony is that God has answered and acted.
For Christians, the New Testament’s use of Psalm 118 gives the psalm an additional Christ-centered significance. Jesus is identified with the rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone, connecting God’s saving work in the psalm with Christ.
The ultimate basis for Christian joy is therefore not simply that another day has arrived, but that God is faithful and has acted for the salvation of His people.
What It Teaches About Faith
Psalm 118:24 teaches believers to cultivate gratitude.
Faith does not look only at what is missing. It remembers what God has done.
The psalmist’s rejoicing comes after experiencing distress and God’s deliverance. His joy is therefore connected with remembering God’s faithfulness.
Faith also changes how believers approach ordinary days.
Instead of viewing a day merely as another set of tasks, Christians can see each day as an opportunity to worship God, serve others, practice obedience, and give thanks.
This does not mean assuming that everything that happens during the day is good. Rather, it means trusting God and seeking to live faithfully within whatever circumstances the day contains.
Applying It to Daily Life
Begin with gratitude. Start the day by acknowledging God and thanking Him for His faithfulness rather than immediately focusing on problems.
Notice God’s goodness. Pay attention to ordinary gifts—relationships, opportunities to serve, provision, Scripture, fellowship, and moments of peace.
Do not postpone joy. It is easy to think, “I will rejoice when everything is resolved.” Psalm 118 encourages God’s people to rejoice because of who God is and what He has done.
Accept the limits of your control. You cannot determine everything that a day will contain. You can, however, choose how you respond to God within it.
Let gratitude influence your actions. Rejoicing should not remain merely a feeling. Gratitude can lead to generosity, kindness, worship, patience, and service.
Remember God’s faithfulness. When a difficult day comes, remembering previous evidence of God’s faithfulness can help prevent present circumstances from becoming the only thing you see.
Responding to Difficult Circumstances
Psalm 118:24 should not be used to tell someone experiencing grief or hardship simply to “be happy because God made today.”
The larger psalm itself includes distress, enemies, fear, and the experience of being surrounded by difficulty.
The psalmist’s rejoicing does not come from denying those realities. It comes from recognizing God’s faithfulness within them.
This provides a more mature understanding of Christian joy.
Some days may contain grief, disappointment, illness, conflict, uncertainty, or loss. Christians do not need to pretend otherwise.
Instead, they can bring those realities honestly before God while continuing to remember His character.
Rejoicing may sometimes be expressed through quiet gratitude rather than obvious happiness. It may mean saying, “Lord, I do not understand this day, but I still trust You and thank You for Your faithfulness.”
The verse therefore encourages hope without denying pain.
Reflection Questions
- What does Psalm 118:24 mean when read in its immediate context?
- What has God done in your life that gives you reason to give thanks today?
- How can you distinguish biblical rejoicing from simply feeling happy?
- Are you postponing gratitude until your circumstances improve?
- How can you respond to a difficult day without denying the reality of your struggles?
- What ordinary blessings do you sometimes overlook?
- How does God’s faithfulness provide a foundation for your joy?
Related Bible Verses
- Psalm 118:1 — Begins and ends the psalm with the declaration that God’s steadfast love endures forever.
- Psalm 118:22–23 — Describes the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone, later applied to Christ in the New Testament.
- Psalm 90:14 — Asks God to satisfy His people with His steadfast love so that they may rejoice.
- Philippians 4:4 — Calls believers to rejoice in the Lord continually.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 — Encourages continual rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving.
- Lamentations 3:22–23 — Reminds God’s people that His mercies are renewed and His faithfulness is great.
- John 16:33 — Jesus acknowledges the reality of trouble while directing His disciples toward confidence in Him.
A Short Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for this day and for Your steadfast love that never fails. Help me recognize Your goodness even when circumstances are difficult. Teach me to rejoice without pretending that life’s struggles do not exist. Give me a grateful heart that remembers Your faithfulness and seeks to honor You in everything I do today. Help me use this day to love, serve, encourage, and worship You. Through Jesus Christ, Amen.
Conclusion
Psalm 118:24 is a call to recognize God’s work and respond with gratitude and joy. Its meaning becomes richer when read within the whole psalm, where God’s people move from distress and prayer toward thanksgiving for His faithfulness and salvation.
The verse does not promise that every day will be comfortable, successful, or free from suffering. Instead, it reminds believers that each day is an opportunity to live before God and respond to His faithfulness.
Christian joy does not require ignoring pain. The Psalms show that believers can acknowledge distress while still trusting God and giving thanks.
For Christians, the passage also gains significance through its connection with Jesus, the cornerstone identified in the New Testament with the rejected stone of Psalm 118.
Therefore, when we say, “This is the day that the Lord has made,” we are doing more than celebrating the arrival of another morning. We are recognizing God’s sovereignty, remembering His faithfulness, and choosing to respond with gratitude.
Whatever this day contains, it can become an opportunity to trust God, worship Him, serve others, and rejoice in His enduring love.
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