#20 Strength, Security and Serenity for YOU in 2002! VIII (13/04/02)

By Robert A. Schuller

Whenever I am with my father in a public place, we will often meet somebody who will recognize him from television, but not recall how or why he looks familiar to them. So with curiosity, they say, "I know you from somewhere, but...." Now my dad does look a little differently with sunglasses and wearing an open collar shirt, especially when the only time he is seen is in his robe and clergy vestments. But when my father speaks his familiar sentence: "This is the day the Lord has made..." they respond, "Ohhh, Rev. Schuller," and they give him a big smile. What great words those are to be recognized with.

Today, I invite you to include those dynamic words in your conversations. Say aloud with me: , "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Wherever you are, if you can stand, then stand straight and tall. If possible, before an open window. Say aloud again, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." What a positive difference that makes in our attitudes about life.

I grew up hearing that affirmation every morning. For many years I heard it so often, not only in church, but as we began the day in our home at breakfast, so it's a part of my memory system. But it wasn't until college or seminary that I realized that this was not just one of my dad's quotes that he created to start the church service. What a pleasant surprise when I discovered that this positive affirmation was a Bible verse in the Psalms. And today I suggest to you that you choose these words as one of your favorite Bible verses and join my dad, Robert Schuller, in this uplifting and joy generating affirmation of God's goodness:

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118.24)

When I learned that these positive words came from the Psalmist over 2000 years ago, that added tremendous depth to them. So this morning, my message is very simple as I add some thoughts to this profound and incredible declaration that will produce joy for you each day.

"This is the day "... yes, this is the day, it's not just on Friday. We see so many advertisements and even restaurants with the familiar acrostic: TGIF, "Thank God, it's Friday"- no work tomorrow! That's really the mood across our country today. TGIF ... Thank God it's Friday. Well, what about Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday? What happened to all those days? Yes, we thank God for Friday, that's fine. But when we only say TGIF, we're only getting one seventh of the benefits we could be getting.

Thank God It's TODAY

Try this one . . . TGIT (1). Thank God, it's ... no, not Tuesday. You haven't improved yourself at all. And it's not Thursday. Thank God it's TODAY. I like that one much more, because when you thank God for today, you get 100% of the benefits God has planned for today, so I like that idea. I like getting up in the morning saying, "This is the day..." "This is the day for me, this is the day that God has made just for me. This is the day that God has given me life and breath, enthusiasm and joy, and an opportunity to breathe again."

"This is the day that God has made. I'll rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

Thank God it's TODAY. For today has never happened before and there are things that you can do today that were never possible before. But today you can. God made this day and put you in it. You are here because God is giving you this day. This is the day that God has made.

A poem I first heard probably 20 years ago, called "God's Minute," goes like this:
"I have only just a minute.
Only 60 seconds and it's forced upon me,
can't refuse it.
Didn't seek it.
Didn't choose it but it's up to me to use it.
I must suffer if I lose it, give an account
if I abuse it,
just a tiny little minute
but eternity is in it." (Author unknown)

This is today and when you and I thank God for today, then guess what? All the pain and the suffering from yesterday diminishes, because that happened yesterday. Today is a new day. And what about all the anxiety and fear of what is going to happen tomorrow and the weeks, months and years ahead? That's not until tomorrow, so thank God for TODAY! Repeat again the joyous words, "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." Tomorrow morning when you waken, you choose again either to say, "Oh, dear God, it's Monday." Or, "Thank you God for today." It's your choice.

This Bible verse is a call for us to put our anxieties and fears for tomorrow away and live in the present moment. No matter where you are today, even if you lie very ill in a hospital, with a tube down your throat, even if you can't talk. Think about these positive words from the Psalms, "This is the day that God has made..." And God made this day for you. And this very moment He is in the process of regenerating and creating health, wholeness and healing. God is in control. That's why God is God and not us.

Believe That God Made This Day for You

Think about the sparrow, think about the resiliency of the sparrow. It's incredible. Go to some of the hottest places on planet earth, and you can find a sparrow. And you can go to some of the coldest places on earth and you can find a sparrow. It has been said that the sparrows have endurance records for being able to just withstand incredible winds and torrents and storms. Jesus said about the sparrow, and I quote Him directly from Matthew 10:

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father and even the very hairs on your head are all numbered so don't be afraid.
You are worth far more than many sparrows. And God who cares for the sparrows, how much more He cares for you." (Matthew 10:29 - 31)

As we look at the resiliency of these sparrows and at the magnitude of how they can withstand just about anything, we also know how fragile they are. If you hold them too tightly, you could easily crush their bones and extinguish their life.

Some of you today feel like life is just crushing in on you too hard. And you feel like that little sparrow who feels like he's being crushed and you cry out, "Oh, my God what am I going to do?" But I pray that you will begin to realize that "This is the day ...." God has chosen to give you the breath of life again today, even if it is but a faint breath. And now it is up to you to decide what you're going to do with this minute.

Rejoice and Be Glad Today

When we begin to believe that "This is the day that God has made," then the Psalmist tells us to respond by "rejoicing and being glad in it." That's the next step.

But Lord, do You understand my pain? Do You understand my suffering? Do You understand where I'm coming from? Don't You understand the debts I have, the taxes I have to pay? Don't you understand? And I promise you that God does understand. And He always provides a way of escape. Always.

Our role is not to control. Our role and responsibility is not to manipulate what to do ... and do ... and do ... and do ... but more importantly it is to be. Let me explain a little from the book, "In His Grip, Foundations for Life in Golf,"(2) by Jim Sheard and Wally Armstrong.

"Success lies in what we do but significance lies in who we are. This critical difference challenges those of us who have grown up in a culture that rewards individuals more for what they do than for who they are.

"Just about every worldly measure of success is based on what you can accomplish or how much money you make, the kind of house you live in, the car you drive, how quickly you climb the corporate ladder and the list goes on. But it doesn't stop there. Somehow we convey these same ideals to our children in the sports they compete in and even in the musical and academic contests they enter. There's no question about it, we are in an accomplishment-oriented society. Doing great things wins the prizes. Being a person of significance often takes a back seat.

"God never measures us by what we do for Him but by what we are for him - the character of our inner being.

"Is it important what you do? Yes, it is. But it is far more important who you are - and far more difficult to measure, because it is a measurement of your heart."
God wants you just the way you are. He wants your heart. He wants your soul. He wants your love. That's why He made you and me. He wants our love and wants us to express that to Him.

Tomorrow morning when you get out of bed you can choose to reluctantly say, "Oh dear God, it's morning." Or you can express your love to Almighty God by choosing the positive attitude and saying, "This is the day that God has made I will be glad TODAY." Don't wait until next Sunday in church. Say it tomorrow morning! Don't wait until next Tuesday or Wednesday, but say it today. Say, "This is the day that God has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

When you and I choose to say this positive affirmation every day of the week, then little by little, inch by inch, it makes a difference. Even when you do not feel like saying it, it will make a difference. You may not notice it tomorrow or the next day, but you'll wake up maybe a week or two, or maybe two months from now and without any question you will see a positive difference in your life. It's what we call the daffodil principle.

I was told about a daffodil garden nearby in the mountains above Arrowhead Springs, California, about two hours from here. Now that it's springtime, I want to visit it. Supposedly there are five acres of blooming daffodils. Can you imagine how large that garden is? It's supposed to be absolutely spectacular with the swirling color of yellow daffodils, all blooming, and a gloriously beautiful sight to see. And if you go to see it, I am told, there is a little porch upon which you can stand and you can read a sign saying: "Answers to the questions I know you are asking." The next sentences on that sign read:

(1) 50,000 bulbs
(2) One at a time by one woman
(3) Began in 1958.

What is the daffodil principle? Planted one bulb at a time, by one woman and a barren field becomes a place of beauty. The same happens to us ... one positive affirmation day after day after day ... and a beautiful change happens to us and those around us.

This moment, today, is the only moment we know. It is a gift from God and as I close my message today, I ask you to make this positive declaration from the Psalmist again.

"This is the day that the Lord has made.
Rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

Thank you God, that this is my day, my time. And so I thank You Lord, and I praise Your name for everything and in all circumstances. You are in the restoration business right now, restoring my faith, and restoring my hope. You are building strength, security and serenity in my life. You are giving me the assurance of Your care for me and I thank You. I love You Lord, and praise Your name always and forever. Amen

(1) "T.G.I.T. - Thank God It's Today," by Win Koerper, The Phoenix Foundation, 1981.
(2) "In His Grip, Foundations for Life in Golf," by Jim Sheard and Wally Armstrong, Word Publishing, Inc. 10/01/1998