“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”(Psalm 118:24)

What If you wake up tomorrow with your mind already made up to rejoice in the day and be glad in it? How will your attitude tomorrow differ from your attitude today?  I have jumped out of bed with a determination to rejoice ‘no matter what’ before, and I have done a commendable job…right up until the first difficult situation arose.

       To choose to rejoice in the day no matter what happens is a significant decision, because we all know that every day brings both joy and trials. Sometimes joys outweigh trials. However, sometimes the scales are tipped in the opposite direction, and we are faced with multiple moments in which our resolve to rejoice is tested.

When something good happens, we find it easy to rejoice! A dictionary definition of the word “rejoice” is: to feel or show that you are very happy about something. Saying, “Thank You” to God directly for people, protection, and positives He blesses us with is a wonderful example of how to rejoice.

On the flip side, when we come up against a problem, rejoicing is not usually our first instinct.  However, once we have made a decision to rejoice in this day whether the sun shines or not, there are genuine reasons to rejoice in the rain.

First, we can rejoice because we get to see God work! We get to see Him bring beauty from ashes. When we have a problem that needs solving, being thankful that we worship the Ultimate Problem Solver is something to rejoice in!

Also, we can rejoice that we have an opportunity to display God’s grace to others while we face difficult situations.  Arguably, this should be number one on the list of reasons to rejoice when trials come! When we handle difficulties with a joyful spirit, stemming from the fact that we know we have a faithful God who is going to take care of us…even in the midst of a storm, we give others hope. We give them a glimpse of Who Jesus is in our life, and Who He can be in their life!

One more reason to “rejoice in the rain” is that after we have gone through a trial, we may be able to help someone that is facing a similar trial. We can offer them empathy and encouragement. We can offer them concern and comfort.

We can give them a reminder of the overwhelming faithfulness of our Father. Coming alongside someone and encouraging them to draw closer to God is a blessing that is well-worth rejoicing over!

Trials, difficulties, hardships, and rain – all can help us grow, to bring consolation to others, and to rely fully on God. All rain can give us cause to rejoice.

I clearly remember one gloomy day as a preschool assistant, lamenting to the children that it was raining – forcing our playtime to be inside instead of on the playground. A sweet student looked at me and wisely declared, “Rain is good! It makes the crops grow.” Yes…rain is good. And rain does in fact make the crops grow. Five-year-olds just get it sometimes.

This is the day the Lord has made: Let us rejoice, really rejoice, and be glad in it. Rain or shine.