LivingJamie

LivingJamie

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24, KJV

Oh, how easy that verse is to read. Living it out? Well, that’s another story. Haha!

I’ve been doing a Bible study with my kids lately, and let me tell you, we have been flying through it.

One page at a time. Yep. One whole page.

Some days I can get the kids settled with blocks while I read. Other days, playdough works pretty well. And then there are the days when absolutely nothing works. Someone is arguing, someone is crying, there’s cereal all over the floor, and I’m wondering how we went from learning about the Lord to everyone needing a timeout. Myself included. Haha!

I wish I could tell you that I’m always patient and that I handle those moments with a joyful heart. But I don’t. I struggle with it every single day.

I’ll be trying to teach my children about being thankful while I’m standing there getting frustrated over the very things I should be thankful for. Three little children, a home full of life, and the opportunity to teach them about Jesus. And yet, sometimes all I can see is the mess.

I’ve found myself praying more and more for the Lord to help me see these moments differently. To remind me that even when things aren’t going the way I planned, there’s still so much to be thankful for. And maybe that’s why this particular Bible study has been just as much for me as it has been for my children.

This Is the Day… Even the Hard Ones

When we read Psalm 118:24, it’s easy to think of it as a happy little verse. A reminder to wake up, smile, and have a wonderful day! But have you ever read the rest of Psalm 118? I hadn’t really stopped to think about what was happening around that verse.

The psalm begins with:

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.”
Psalm 118:1, KJV

Beautiful, right? But as you continue reading, you find that the writer wasn’t just sitting around enjoying a perfect day. He talks about distress, enemies, fear, and needing the Lord’s help.

In verse 5, he tells us that he called upon the Lord in his distress. And in verse 14, he declares that the Lord is his strength, his song, and his salvation. Then we get to verse 24.

“This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

He wasn’t rejoicing because everything had been easy. He was rejoicing in what the Lord had done! That really made me think. How often do I let the circumstances of my day determine whether I’m thankful?

If the kids cooperate, the house stays somewhat clean, and we finish our schoolwork, it’s a good day. But if we’re behind schedule, everyone is bickering, and the baby has decided that everything within reach belongs on the floor? Well… suddenly I’m not feeling quite so joyful. Haha!

But God’s goodness hasn’t changed just because my day got harder. And that’s something I want my children to understand. Something I need to understand better myself.

Teaching Our Children That It’s Okay to Have Hard Days

One thing I don’t want my children to take away from this verse is that Christians have to be happy all the time. Because that’s simply not true. We’re going to have hard days. Our children are going to get frustrated, disappointed, scared, and sad. And so are we.

I don’t want them to think they have to hide those feelings from the Lord or pretend everything is fine. I want them to know they can go to Him with all of it.

We can be thankful for God’s goodness and still ask Him for help. We can have a difficult morning and still praise Him.

And when one of my children is upset, instead of immediately telling them to cheer up, I want to get better at sitting with them and saying, “That was hard, wasn’t it? Let’s pray about it.” Of course, remembering to do that when everyone is yelling is another lesson the Lord is still working on with me!

But that’s part of it, isn’t it? We’re raising these little hearts while the Lord is still working on ours.

And of Course, We Have to Talk About Jesus!

Something else I loved discovering while studying Psalm 118 is that it points us to Jesus. In verses 22–23, we read about the stone that the builders rejected becoming the head stone of the corner.

And guess what? Peter talks about this very passage in Acts 4:10–12! He explains that Jesus, whom the people rejected and crucified, was raised from the dead by God. And he boldly declares that salvation is found in no one else.

I love when the Old and New Testaments come together like that! So while we’re teaching our children to be thankful, we have an even greater reason to rejoice.

Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.

Our greatest blessing isn’t a good day, a clean home, or even getting through an entire Bible lesson without someone spilling something. It’s our Saviour.

And we don’t earn salvation by having a good attitude or being thankful enough. Salvation is God’s gift, received through faith in Jesus Christ. That’s the truth I want my children to grow up knowing.

How We’re Learning This Together

If you’re anything like me, you probably love the idea of sitting down with your children for a peaceful Bible study. Everyone listening, little hands folded, sweet conversations about Jesus… And then real life happens. Haha!

So I’m learning to keep things simple. Here’s something you can try with your little ones:

Start with Scripture. Read Psalm 118:1 and 24 together. Don’t feel like you have to read the entire chapter in one sitting. You can come back to verses 5–6, 14, and 22–23 throughout the week.

Ask one little question. Something as simple as “What are you thankful for today?” Or, “Is there anything hard that you want to ask God to help you with?” And if the conversation goes in a completely different direction? That’s okay too.

Let their hands stay busy. I’ve found that blocks, coloring, or playdough can really help while we’re reading. Sometimes they listen better when they’re doing something with their hands.

Pray together. Nothing complicated. Just talk to the Lord.

“Lord, thank You for this day. Thank You for loving us and for Your goodness and mercy. Please help us when things are hard. Teach us to trust You and to have thankful hearts. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

And if you only get through one page? Well, you’re in good company over here!

A Little Something I Made for Our Bible Time

I’ve been working on some printables to make studying Scripture with little ones a bit easier, and I wanted to share these with you.

The Psalm 118:24 Coloring Packet includes 17 printable PDF pages, with 15 coloring and activity pages. There’s even a Find & Color activity to help little hands stay busy while learning the verse.

I also made a separate nine-page Mom & Kids Bible Lesson that digs a little deeper into Psalm 118. It includes KJV Scripture, simple questions to ask your children, the connection to Jesus in Acts, and little Mom sections so we can learn right alongside our kids. Because I certainly don’t have all the answers either!

And I made sure the lesson was something we could take our time with. No pressure to finish it all in one day.

Psalm 118:24 Coloring Packet — available in my Etsy shop

You can get the full nine-page Mom & Kids Bible Lesson free, plus two sample coloring/activity pages: the garden coloring page and Find & Color. Sign up below and I’ll send the eleven-page download to your inbox, along with LivingJamie emails. You can unsubscribe at any time. The full coloring packet is a separate Etsy purchase; the Bible lesson is not included in that purchase.

One Page at a Time, Mama

I think sometimes I get so caught up in wanting to teach my children everything that I forget they’re still little. They don’t need me to turn every Bible study into a perfect lesson.

They need me to open God’s Word with them. To answer their questions, to pray with them, and to show them that following Jesus is part of our everyday lives. Even the messy parts. Especially the messy parts.

And if I’m teaching them to thank God for the day He has made, I need to remember to thank Him for it too. Even when the cereal is on the floor. Even when we’re behind on school. Even when we’ve only managed one page of our Bible study.

Because this is the day the Lord has made. And He’s still teaching this mama how to rejoice in it. ❤️