To lift my spirits each morning, I begin my morning meditations by thinking: “This is the day that the LORD hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24).

To motivate me to get up and get moving, I think primarily about things I’m looking forward to doing that day.  Visiting with someone in person. Talking with someone on the phone. Reading a book. Streaming a show. (see my blog “Meditations: This Is the Day that the LORD Hath Made”).

Next, I think about letting “it” go, being still, and the LORD being my shepherd (see my blogs “Meditations: Let It Go”, “Meditations: Be Still”, and “Meditations: The LORD Is My Shepherd”).

Next, I think a second time: “This is the day that the LORD hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it” (paraphrase of Psalm 118:24 KJV).

This second time, however, I tend not to focus on events in my personal life.

Instead, I tend to focus on events in the world:

—The latest news from the war in Ukraine.

—The latest mass shootings.

—The latest droughts and floods, hurricanes and blizzards.

At first, I can’t see much to rejoice and be glad about.

But then I recall: this is the Day that the LORD hath made.

No matter how bad and depressing world events are, I can still find reasons to rejoice and be glad.

After all, it is the LORD who made this Day!

This is the same LORD who revealed himself to Moses as compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands of generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin while letting people suffer as few bad consequences as feasible from their bad choices. (Exodus 34:6-7).

Therefore, in the midst of so many bad and depressing events, we can still rejoice and be glad about people who respond to bad and depressing events by acting compassionately and graciously. People who abound in love and faithfulness. People who maintain love to multitudes of people. People who forgive wickedness, rebellion and sin. People who enable people to suffer as few bad consequences as feasible from their bad choices.

My spirits rise as surely as the sun rises majestically at dawn.

Why?

I remember that the LORD is good. His love endures forever. (Psalm 136).

Therefore, even though world events are bad and depressing,

     and even though my soul is downcast within me,

Yet this I call to mind

     and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,

     for his compassions never fail.

They are NEW EVERY MORNING;

     great is [the LORD’s] faithfulness.

(Lamentations 3:21-23) (emphasis added).

Even though world events are bad and depressing,

     and even though my soul is downcast within me,

we know that in all things God works

     for the good of those who love him. . . .

. . . in all these [bad and depressing events]

     we are more than conquerors through him who loved us

[For nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God

     that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8:28,37-39).

Even though world events are bad and depressing,

     and even though my soul is downcast within me,

[T]he word that goes out from [the LORD’s] mouth

     . . . will not return to [him] empty,

but will accomplish what [the LORD] desire[s]

     and achieve the purpose for which [the LORD] sent it.

[W]e will go out in joy

     and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

     will burst into song before [us],

and all the trees of the field

     will clap their hands.

(Isaiah 55:11-12).

And so, as surely as the sun rises majestically at dawn, my downcast spirit rises within me.

Why?

The pond bursts into birdsongs.

And all the trees of the pond “clap their hands”—and their palm branches!

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

What things happening in the world are bad and depressing?

Why things make your soul downcast within you?

How can you get your spirits to rise as surely as the sun rises majestically at dawn?

READ MORE

For other blogs about meditating in the morning, please read my blogs “Meditations: This Is the Day that the LORD Hath Made”, “Meditations: Let It Go”, “Meditations: Be Still”, “Meditations: The LORD Is My Shepherd”, “Going Further onto the Patio”, “Amazing Grace: Birdsongs!”, “Pandemic Wisdom: Leaves and Birds”, “Pandemic Wisdom: Meditating”, “A Foggy Sunrise”, “Mountains and Hills Breaking Into Song”, and “God Cares for Each Bird That I See Each Morning”.