It’s His Decision :: Deeper Devotion

by Glenn Ansley

Psalm 118:24
This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

I hate being the one that must decide what activity a group of friends is going to do. Whether I pick the movies, the beach, miniature golf, or a board game, someone will always be upset. They place the decision on you, they say that it’s yours to make, and then they complain when you decide. If they were that opinionated in the first place, why couldn’t they be the one to make the decision?

As much as I hate it when people act like this, I am afraid to admit that I act in the same manner towards the Lord on a regular basis. To make matters worse, God is not responsible for a simple group activity. Neither was He elected by a group to make His decisions. Our Lord and Creator is the author of all we know, He makes His decisions, not because we have given Him the authority to do so, but because He is God and we are not. How then, do we have any right to complain about anything that He should see fit to send in our direction?

The author of this Psalm has the same revelation when he writes, “This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” The Scriptures are full of those who question the will of the Lord and come to Him for direction and understanding; this is not unacceptable to Him. We do not however, have the right to complain and to take up the mindset of “poor me,” or “it’s so unfair!” Consider the prophet Jonah who “begged with all his soul to die, saying, ‘Death is better to me than life’” because the Lord chose to take from him a vine that provided shade. God’s response to him was simple and expected from the Lord of creation: “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” (Jonah 4)

What are you upset about today? Do you have any good reason to be angry about it? Just as the Lord provided Jonah with the plant, then took it away, He has provided you with today. Today is the Lord’s day… not yours, not mine. Who are we to complain about the circumstances He chooses to set before us today? Who are we to say in our hearts, “This isn’t fair”? Just as my friends have no right to complain about a board game after giving me the responsibility of making the decision, neither are you allowed to complain against the Lord for the decisions He makes in His good and perfect way!

This is the day that the Lord has made! Honor that, regardless of what it may bring to you. Set firm in your heart the decision to praise Him and to worship your God regardless of the outcome. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

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