This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24
Earlier this year, I celebrated Christmas with my sweet one-year-old nephew Peter and his family. He is the happiest baby I have ever met! As we opened some presents on Christmas morning, I could not help but focus on Peter, savoring his gifts. He was so happy with each little present that he received, not looking to see what gift was coming next. He even enjoyed playing with the boxes and wrapping paper that his gifts came in, as every baby does. As I watched him contentedly enjoy his Christmas morning, I realized that I, along with many of us, could learn from him. You see, we often spend our lives going from moment to moment, wondering what’s next. We want more and more, never stopping to savor what we have. We would do well to learn from Peter, and all of the babies and toddlers in our lives, who teach us to live in the moment rather than constantly pursue more and more.
On his quest for satisfaction and meaning, Solomon concluded that every person should take each day moment by moment, embracing the gifts God gives us each day. As he wrote in Ecclesiastes 9 about his search for satisfaction, he encouraged his readers to live in the moment, celebrating and enjoying every single day. He wrote, “Go ahead, eat your food with joy…for God approves of this! Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!” (verse 8). Solomon is encouraging us to savor today, finding joy and something to celebrate with this day from God, which is a gift that we are given. After all, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. What we have is today, and we should make the most of each moment that we are given.
The writer of Psalm 118 said it this way, “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (verse 24). What stands out in this passage of Scripture is the phrase “this is the day.” It reminds me that today, not tomorrow, a week from now, or even years from now, is a day worth celebrating and rejoicing in because, indeed, God has made it. As a result, we should celebrate every moment, from the big things to the small things, and savor them rather than pursue more and more.
In the monotony of our daily lives, we may be tempted to take every day we are given for granted. The reality is that each day we open our eyes is an invitation to find joy and contentment in the gifts God gives us each day. This is the day that the Lord has given you. Will you rejoice and be glad in it?
What would it look like for you today to savor today and celebrate it as a gift God has given you? Maybe you will choose to focus on each gift that God has given you today, from the people He surrounds you with, the food He has blessed you with, and more, and to thank Him for these gifts. Perhaps savoring each moment means slowing down and not rushing through your “to-do” list. Whatever it looks like for you, choose to savor every moment God has given you today.
“God, today is a gift from you. Help me to…”
Ecclesiastes 9:1-18
This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. 2 The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t.
3 It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. 4 There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It’s better to be a live dog than a dead lion!”
5 The living at least know they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, nor are they remembered. 6 Whatever they did in their lifetime—loving, hating, envying—is all long gone. They no longer play a part in anything here on earth. 7 So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! 8 Wear fine clothes, with a splash of cologne!
9 Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. 10 Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
11 I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.
12 People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.
13 Here is another bit of wisdom that has impressed me as I have watched the way our world works. 14 There was a small town with only a few people, and a great king came with his army and besieged it. 15 A poor, wise man knew how to save the town, and so it was rescued. But afterward no one thought to thank him. 16 So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.
17 Better to hear the quiet words of a wise person than the shouts of a foolish king. 18 Better to have wisdom than weapons of war, but one sinner can destroy much that is good.
©2026 Sagebrush Church
