Psalm 30:5; Psalm 118:24
Even though I was sickly as a child (so that I didn't grow for two years), I have been very healthy during my adult life. However, I have noticed that the warranty is starting to expire on various body parts and functions.
When I awoke this morning, I thought, "This is the oldest I've ever been." Certainly we can think that simple truth every day, but today's aches and pains made the phrase feel fresh.
I find myself more and more grateful to simply awake each morning, alive and given the gift of another day. That attitude causes me to rejoice, which is a fundamental part of living a seven-day practical faith.
The Psalms offer a couple of verses enabling us to awake and rejoice immediately. Psalm 30:5 reads,
Weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning
Likewise, Psalm 118:24 reads,
The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
These verses remind us of a couple of facts about joy. First, rejoicing and weeping can be very close to each other. Joy doesn't have to do with circumstance; it instead is an evidence of God's nearby presence via the Holy Spirit. Also, the phrase, "rejoice today," signifies the immediacy of joy. Joy is available to us right now because the Holy Spirit is available to us right now.
Today, overcome your aches and pains, your tears and worries, your devastation and loss, by tapping into the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, causing you to feel and express joy.
Here's something else you can do today: Spend some time with my April podcast, the kickoff to my fourth season called "Practical Faith Academy." Podcaster and author Lyvita Brooks joins me in a joy-filled discussion rich with gold nuggets for living a seven-day practical faith. You can find it by searching for "Cecil Taylor Monthly Podcasts" on Audacy, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and Podbean, or by visiting CecilTaylorMinistries.com/free-content to find the links.