“This is the day the Lord has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad today!” (Psalm 118:24 GWT)

I will rejoice and be glad today.

I am currently saying these words to myself—seeking the good in a tough situation. Our lives are unsettled right now as we await God’s guidance for a new phase of our lives. I have shed some tears over the past, I have said my good-byes to a home in which we invested ourselves and grew our family, and I have faced my own personal “funk” as I sat down to feel sorry for myself that God has put us in a holding pattern.

I am eager to move on. I am eager to see what God will do. I am eager to settle in the new place with a new lease on our lives in the years to come.

Yet God keeps us here. Why? What is he waiting for? Ah . . . but I know better than to ask that question. I know better than to complain. I know better than to demand that God answer me. I know, from painful experience, that God will work in his time in his way. Far from being a cliché, it is a fact of our lives with him.

So what is left for me to do in this time of waiting?

Trust his promises.

Walk with him.

Talk with him.

Listen to him.

And, oh yeah, rejoice.

I am not called to sit and wait to be happy or content when things get better, when life is settled, when the questions are answered. I am called to rejoice today.

I can rejoice because I can trust his promises, I can walk with him, I can talk with him, I can listen to him. And I can rejoice because I know that our future is safely in his hands.

Are you in a holding pattern today? Waiting for God’s answer to the cries of your heart? It may seem counterintuitive but I would encourage you to trust, walk, talk, listen, and …

rejoice.

“I will bring health and healing to it. I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security . . . Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it.” (Jeremiah 33:6, 9 NIV)

I was looking for verses that would contain thoughts of “change” along with promises of joy. My own life is in flux now with lots of change in the wind, and my churning stomach and sleepless nights are a constant reminder that I haven’t yet got a handle on this whole “rejoice always” package. Trust me, it’s easer to write about than it is to actually do in the trenches.

But I’m determined to try.

To the Israelites to whom Jeremiah wrote, this promise seemed to ring hollow against the backdrop of their reality. Yet the promise was sure–God was going to bring health and healing, peace and security, with the ultimate goal that they would give back to him the glory due to him. Change would be good for everyone involved.

Sometimes change is necessary in order to bring about that very health and healing. In fact, health and healing are themselves changes when laid against a time of hurt or pain. To get to healing sometimes requires a time of surgery, or recovery, or rehab. But eventually, healing comes. Good change occurs.

I believe that God wants the very best for us. I believe that when we call he “will answer [us] and tell [us] great and unsearchable things [we] do not know” (v. 3). The promise here is to God’s people, Israel, yet I do know that God works in all of his people’s lives to make beauty instead of ashes as Isaiah wrote (Isaiah 61:3) and to restore us so that we might glorify him. He is always in the business of restoration.

Every little step of trust and faith that we take–even when life changes throw us, even when we’re not sure where we’re going, even when things don’t make sense–is a step that pushes back the darkness and confusion Satan wants to give us. Each step says to God, “I don’t see where I’m going but I trust you.” After all, “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

So in the midst of changes in my household, good ones, I grab onto God’s promise of renewal and restoration, of “hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11), of health and healing.

May we bring you renown, joy, praise, and honor, Lord, because of what you have done for us.

John Paul Jones was born on this day in 1747.

Born in Scotland, John Paul Jones devoted his life to the sea and became known as the “father of the American Navy.” At age 13 Jones was apprenticed as a sailor. At 21 he received his first command of a ship. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Jones was in Virginia and joined the colonists. He was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Continental Navy and made his mark in American naval history attacking British ships.

During one particularly bloody battle, Jones’s ship the Bon Homme Richard had attacked the British ship the HMS Serapis in the North Sea off the coast of England. The Richard had been blasted in the side and began to lose much of her firepower and her crew. When the captain of the Serapis called out to Jones to ask if he was ready to surrender, Jones’ stirring reply echoed over the battle: “I have not yet begun to fight.” Despite the overwhelming odds, Jones and his crew fought on, even as their ship was sinking beneath them. Eventually it was the Serapis that surrendered.

It was in this same spirit that young David approached Goliath, the famous Philistine warrior who stood over nine feet tall! Despite the incredible odds against him David did not wave the white flag and give up. No, even as Goliath taunted him, David approached his opponent knowing full well whose battle it was—the Lord’s! “Everyone will know that the Lord does not need weapons to rescue his people,” David declared. “It is his battle, not ours.”

That’s good for us to remember as well. Next time you face overpowering odds or difficult circumstances, don’t wave the white flag. Instead, turn your battle over to the Lord to win.

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us (Romans 8:37, NLT).

To Do

Come up with a slogan that you can use to remember to give your battles to the Lord.

Also on this day . . .

This is National Be Nice to New Jersey Week.

1946—George W. Bush, the 43^rd President of the United States, was born.

1964—The Beatles’ first film, A Hard Day’s Night, premiered in London.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).

In 1946, the bikini made its debut at a Paris fashion show.

Two years after the French had enjoyed liberation from the Nazi Occupation, they experienced another kind of liberation that took place along the sunny beaches of the Mediterranean. A few daring women decided to wear a new type of bathing suit that showed more than ever had been seen before in public! The tiny two-piece suit was named the bikini, in honor of the tiny Pacific island where the United States was testing the atom bomb. The skimpy new suit caused its own “explosions,” which are still being felt today.

Initially, Americans rejected the bikini outright, preferring the one-piece bathing suit popularized in movies of the early 1950s. But gradually the suit became more accepted by the American culture, and it became popular in the 1960s as a series of “beach movies” made it standard attire. Songs like “Itsy-Bitsy Teeny-Weeny Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini” no doubt helped the skimpy suits become more acceptable. Today the bikini is as popular as ever, but that doesn’t mean that the debate about its appropriateness has ended. (Perhaps it goes on in your house as well!)

While such matters are often a matter of personal taste, Paul had a few things to say about what we should think about when it comes to what we wear and how we look. Rather than letting the latest fads dictate what we wear, Paul said we should be more concerned about our inner character. We are more attractive showing kindness, gentleness, and self-control than when we’re showing off our bodies with revealing clothing.

Clothes styles come and go. A beautiful character lasts forever.

And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes (1 Timothy 2:9, NLT).

To Do

Take a look at your closet. What clothes do you have that you might not wear when considering Paul’s words?

Also on this day . . .

1865—William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.

1916—Adelina and August Van Buren started on the first successful transcontinental motorcycle tour to be attempted by two women.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).

Today is Independence Day!

The story of America’s birthday is a familiar one. After a two-year struggle to work out their differences with England without going to war, representatives from the 13 colonies had gathered in Philadelphia to compose a formal declaration of independence. The first draft, written by Thomas Jefferson, was presented to the Continental Congress on June 28. After numerous changes, a vote was taken late on the afternoon of July 4^th. Of the 13 colonies, nine voted to adopt it, two voted no (Pennsylvania and South Carolina), and New York abstained. With a decided majority, the document was adopted as an official communication to King George that freedom from British rule had been declared throughout the land.

The principles of freedom that we have come to enjoy as Americans were set forth in this document with these stirring words: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Because of the vision of our founding fathers we enjoy many freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press.

As Christians, we also have been called to live in freedom. But just as our freedom to live in this country comes with responsibilities, so too does our freedom in Jesus. Being free doesn’t mean that we can do whatever we wish whenever we want. That would make us slaves to sin and making wrong choices. Rather, we are free to do right and to honor God by serving others. We can express our freedom in Jesus by loving and serving others daily.

For you have been called to live in freedom—not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13, NLT).

To Do

As you enjoy the day’s fireworks and festivities, think of all the many freedoms you enjoy.

Also on this day . . .

1802—The U.S. Military Academy officially opened at West Point, New York.

1817—Construction began on the Erie Canal to connect Lake Erie and the Hudson River.

1872—Calvin Coolidge, the 30^th President of the United States, was born in Plymouth, Vermont.

1886—The first rodeo in America was held at Prescott, Arizona.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).

On this day in 1878, George M. Cohan was born.

George M. Cohan, a successful actor, singer, dancer, playwright, composer, director, and producer, was probably America’s first superstar. He was, as one of his plays put it, “The Man Who Owned Broadway.” Yet aside from his success on the stage, George Cohan is perhaps best known for his greatest hit, “Over There,” a patriotic tribute to the men who had enlisted to fight in World War I.

The story goes that Cohan composed the song while traveling on a train from New Rochelle, N.Y., into New York City. It was 1917 and the headlines of the newspapers were filled with stories about the war and America’s involvement. Cohan said, “I read those war headlines, and I got to thinking and humming to myself, and for a minute, I thought I was going to dance. I was all finished with both the chorus and the verse by the time I got to town, and I also had a title.”

The song became an instant hit with its inspiring, encouraging message:

So prepare, say a pray’r,
Send the word, send the word to beware.
We’ll be over, we’re coming over,
And we won’t come back till it’s over
Over there.

These simple verses of encouragement became a powerful tool for the U.S. Army in recruiting men to enlist. For these words and his contribution to the war effort, Cohan was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1940.

George Cohan’s stirring song is a great reminder that we should never underestimate the power of an encouraging word. The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 that we are to encourage each other. A word of encouragement at the right time can make a huge difference. Try it some time. See how you can change your home, your classroom, or your Sunday school with just a few positive words of encouragement!

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up (Proverbs 12:25, NLT).

To Do

Decide to encourage one person—a friend, family member, or teacher—during the entire day. Write notes, IM, or send emails throughout the day.

Also on this day . . .

1878—John Wise flew the first inflatable airship in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

1890—Idaho became America’s 43^rd state.

1962—Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).

In 1947, an object crashed near Roswell, New Mexico. Eyewitness accounts led to speculation that it might have been an alien spacecraft.

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Wilmot were sitting on their front porch enjoying the summer evening when they spotted a large glowing object that zoomed through the sky. The object moved so fast that they ran into the yard for a better look. Mr. Wilmot described what he saw as “oval in shape like two inverted saucers.” He said that “the entire body glowed as though light were showing through from inside.” He estimated that it was about 1,500 feet up in the sky and going at a rate of 400 to 500 miles per hour.

At first Wilmot, a respected and reliable citizen in town, kept the story to himself hoping that others would come forward with the same story. When he finally disclosed what he and his wife had seen, the Roswell Army Air Field announced that it, in fact, had possession of a flying disk. However, a day later the RAAF announced that the object was actually a harmless high-altitude weather balloon. Mystery solved. Or was it?

Speculation continues even today about what actually landed that night on July 2. Many believe that it was an UFO and that there are aliens living somewhere in space.

Whether you believe that or not, the truth is that there are aliens living on this planet. In fact, there probably are aliens living in your neighborhood or attending your school.  God’s Word tells us that an alien is anyone who doesn’t know Jesus. At one time, we were all aliens until we learned about Jesus. That’s important to remember. We shouldn’t treat those who don’t know Jesus like they came from another planet, but we should care enough about them to help them know him too!

Remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12, NRSV).

To Do

Think about the “aliens” that you know. How can you help them meet Jesus?

Also on this day . . .

1937—Aviator Amelia Earhart disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean.

1986—Lindsay Lohan was born.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).

In 1945, the New York State Commission Against Discrimination was established.

In 1945, New York became the first state in the country to establish an agency that would assist people who had been treated unfairly because of race, creed, or ethnic background. The State Commission Against Discrimination was given a mission to prevent and eliminate discrimination on the job; to investigate and solve fairly complaints of illegal discrimination; and to develop a human rights legislation and policy for the state. Since it began the Commission has handled thousands of complaints charging discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and housing.

It’s unfortunate that people treat others unfairly. Sometimes people slight others just because they are different, and give people like themselves preferential treatment. But in God’s family playing favorites is not allowed. God tells us that all people are created in his image—that means we all are worthy in his sight. There are no differences between groups of people or individuals in God’s eyes. (See Genesis 1:26, 27.)

When Paul wrote to the believers in Colosse, he reminded them that it didn’t matter if a person was Jewish or Greek, a slave or free, male or female. Everyone was the same in Jesus. That same truth applies to us today. If we belong to Jesus, there should not be barriers between people based on nationality, education, race, wealth, or power. As members of Jesus’ family, we should be about the business of building bridges between people, not walls. Whether we’re at church, at school, or in our neighborhood, we should see people the way Jesus sees them.

In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11, NLT).

To Do

Take time this week to intentionally reach out to someone of a different nationality, race, or ethnic background.

Also on this day . . .

Today is Canada Day.

1863—The Battle of Gettysburg began.

1963—Zip codes were used for the first time.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).