This Is the Day the Lord Has Made
Rejoicing in the Sovereign Salvation and Everlasting Mercy of God
Main Scripture Psalms 118:19-24
Sermon Summary
The central issue facing believers is the temptation to succumb to anxiety, opposition, and earthly distress, forgetting that God remains sovereign over every season. Psalm 118 teaches that God's covenant love endures forever and that He has orchestrated the ultimate day of salvation through Jesus Christ. Believers are called to turn away from human self-reliance, enter God's presence with heartfelt thanksgiving, and live daily in joyful obedience.
Introduction
Life often presents us with circumstances that feel overwhelmingly heavy, narrow, and uncertain. We wake up facing economic pressures, family conflicts, or personal health battles, wondering how we can possibly experience genuine joy amidst such hardship. Yet, in the middle of severe trials, Psalm 118 issues a ringing declaration that echoes across centuries: 'This is the day that the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!' This psalm was sung by Israel during the great pilgrimage feasts as they approached the temple gates to celebrate divine deliverance. It was also on the lips of Jesus and His disciples during the Last Supper before He went to the cross. Psalm 118 reveals that true spiritual gladness does not depend on smooth circumstances, but on the unshakeable character and redemptive work of God. Today, we step into the sanctuary of God's Word to learn how His everlasting mercy and Christ's victorious sacrifice turn our darkest days into reasons for eternal praise.
Main Scripture
Psalms 118:19-24
Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter into it. I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD ’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Psalms 118:19-24 serves as the central foundation of this sermon because it marks the triumphant transition from suffering and rejection to divine exaltation and public worship. The psalmist requests entry through the gates of righteousness to offer praise for God's salvation. Within this passage lies the foundational messianic prophecy of the rejected stone becoming the chief cornerstone—a work accomplished solely by God. Verse 24 points directly to the culmination of divine redemption, celebrating the day of salvation made available through God's sovereign initiative.
Main Sermon Points
1. Anchor Your Life in Unending Covenant Love
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever. Let Israel now say that his loving kindness endures forever. Let the house of Aaron now say that his loving kindness endures forever. Now let those who fear the LORD say that his loving kindness endures forever.
The psalm opens with an urgent call to corporate thanksgiving, repeating four times that God's loving kindness endures forever. This covenant mercy is unearned and unbreakable, providing the permanent anchor for our soul regardless of shifting earthly tides.
Jeremiah reinforces that the Lord's mercies never come to an end and are fresh every morning, demonstrating His unwavering faithfulness even in times of national destruction.
In ancient Israel, the liturgy engaged the whole community—all Israel, the priests, and all God-fearing believers—to establish that God's covenant love is the shared foundation of every believer's survival.
Begin each morning by declaring God's everlasting mercy before looking at your news feed, schedule, or worries. Speak His faithfulness over your family and work, anchoring your emotions in His unchanging goodness.
Quick Insights
- God's covenant love remains constant even when our human circumstances shift.
- Corporate praise strengthens individual faith during seasons of trial.
- Starting the day with gratitude realigns our perspective with divine truth.
2. Call Upon God Out of Deep Distress
Out of my distress, I called on the LORD. The LORD answered me with freedom. The LORD is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side among those who help me. Therefore I will look in triumph at those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in princes.
The Hebrew word for distress denotes a narrow, constricted space. When we cry out to Yahweh, He answers by bringing us into a spacious place of freedom. True security comes from taking refuge in God rather than placing fragile trust in human alliances or political figures.
Paul echoes the psalmist's conviction by declaring that if God is for us, no human or spiritual opposition can ultimately prevail against us.
The psalmist experienced real hostility and political encirclement, yet found that human helpers and powerful rulers are ultimately ineffective compared to the sovereign protection of Yahweh.
Identify areas where you have relied on human approval, financial safety nets, or earthly power instead of God. Relinquish those false assurances through prayer, choosing to place your entire trust in the Lord's protective presence.
Quick Insights
- God brings us out of tight places into broad spiritual freedom when we pray.
- Fearing God delivers us from the paralyzing fear of human disapproval.
- Human alliances will fail, but the Lord remains our unwavering refuge.
3. Overcome Spiritual Opposition in the Lord's Name
You pushed me back hard, to make me fall, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.
When spiritual and circumstantial pressures push us back hard to cause our downfall, God's divine intervention sustains us. God does not merely grant us strength; He Himself becomes our strength, our song, and our personal salvation.
Moses sang these exact words after the Red Sea crossing, demonstrating that the God who delivered Israel from Egypt is the same God who rescues His people in every generation.
The psalmist compares hostile forces to swarming bees and burning thorns—intense and frightening, yet quickly extinguished by the divine authority inherent in the name of Yahweh.
When feeling overwhelmed by spiritual warfare, workplace pressure, or family crisis, speak the name of Jesus over your situation. Speak words of faith and thanksgiving rather than declaring defeat.
Quick Insights
- Enemy attacks may push us hard, but God's divine hand keeps us standing.
- The Lord is not just a giver of strength; He is our very strength and song.
- Victories in life are won through the authority of God's name, not our muscle.
4. Rejoice in the Rejected Stone Made Cornerstone
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD ’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Human builders judged the stone useless and threw it aside, but God elevated it to become the essential chief cornerstone of His eternal building. The 'day' made by the Lord refers supremely to the day of redemptive victory when God turned Christ's rejection into eternal salvation.
Peter applies this psalm directly to Jesus, confirming that Christ is the precious chief cornerstone chosen by God, though rejected by human religious authorities.
Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22 in Matthew 21 during Holy Week to expose the religious leaders' rejection and to announce that God was establishing His everlasting Kingdom upon Him.
Build every aspect of your daily existence—your marriage, career, ambition, and ethical decisions—upon Jesus Christ as your cornerstone. Celebrate every day as an opportunity to rejoice in His completed salvation.
Quick Insights
- God delights in taking what the world rejects and making it foundational.
- The supreme day the Lord made is the day of salvation through Christ's resurrection.
- Joy is a daily choice rooted in the marvelous redemptive work of God.
Bottom Line
Every single day is a gift orchestrated by God, grounded in His eternal covenant love and secured through Jesus Christ, our chief cornerstone. When trials enclose us and human assurances fail, we find absolute freedom and victory by taking refuge in the Lord. Because Christ turned rejection into eternal redemption, we can face every circumstance with unshakeable joy, proclaiming with bold confidence that this is indeed the day the Lord has made.
Memorable Quote
When you build your life on the cornerstone the world rejected, every day becomes a monument to God's marvelous victory and unshakeable grace.
Theological Point
The primary doctrine revealed in Psalm 118 is the divine doctrine of Redemption through the Rejected and Exalted Messiah. God's redemptive plan operates by turning human rejection into divine victory. Human builders discarded Jesus Christ, yet God appointed Him as the chief cornerstone of the Church. True salvation and eternal life are entirely God's doing, completely independent of human merit or political power.
Prayer Guide
- Thank God for His unearned, everlasting covenant love that endures through every trial.
- Ask God to deliver you from human self-reliance and teach you to take full refuge in Him.
- Pray for strength and courage to withstand spiritual opposition in the powerful name of Jesus.
- Seek God's help to build your family, career, and daily decisions upon Christ the cornerstone.
- Ask God to fill your heart with genuine spiritual joy and thanksgiving every single day.
Responding to God’s Word
As we conclude our reflection on 'This Is the Day the Lord Has Made,' we are reminded that our joy is not an accident of circumstance, but an act of spiritual worship. Psalm 118 leads us directly to Jesus Christ, the stone rejected by men but crowned by God as the chief cornerstone of our salvation. He went to the cross, endured rejection, and rose in triumph so that we might step through the gates of righteousness into eternal fellowship with God. Whether you are walking through a season of narrow distress or standing on a mountain peak of blessing, remember that this present day belongs to the sovereign Lord. Stop looking for ultimate security in human alliances or personal strength. Fix your eyes on Jesus, anchor your soul in His enduring mercy, and choose to rejoice in His salvation today and forever.
