Hymn Story: This is the Day

This is the Day is an upbeat song that reminds us that this is the day the Lord has made, we should be happy and rejoice.

The hymn is based on Psalm 118:24, “This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

The practice of writing songs based off of scripture dates back for centuries. This is sometimes known as the singing of scripture choruses.

This is the Day first appeared in the 1967 collection Scripture in Song by Leslie Norman Garrett.

Garrett was born in 1943 on the island of Matamata, New Zealand. He is a pastor and lecturer.

The Psalter Hymnal Handbook notes, “‘This Is the Day’ celebrates God’s mighty acts of redemption, hailing ‘the day’ as a special day of the Lord.”

The tune is from a folk tune originated from Fiji.

One fun way to sing the song with children is in a round.