There Is A Way To Deal With Bad Days

I know that each of us sincerely desires to trust Jesus. We want to but at the same time we like to see everything that is coming. Not many of us like surprises. We would find it a lot easier to trust if the Spirit forewarned us of what was coming and then remind us of which promises apply. I honestly think more of us could handle the challenges if we knew they were coming. But life does not work that way.

With or without Jesus we are travelling blind. The difference is, if we travel with Jesus, he sees what is coming and has already laid down his plans to get us through. In order to trust we have to stop seeing good and bad days, accepting that they are all good and that Jesus is using it all for our benefit. We have to trust that Yahweh is sovereign and everything is in his control. He even turns the curses of the enemy into blessings. I am going to use one simple incident in the Scriptures to illustrate my point.

Saul was a young man in his father's household and bad news had just arrived: the donkeys were missing. To us this might seem like a silly matter but those donkeys represented wealth. Imagine being informed $50,000 just went missing from your bank account. We get upset when we lose $20, imagine $50,000. That would be bad news and you would be upset. So Saul went out looking.

Saul traveled a long distance looking for those donkeys, to the point where he thought it best to turn back because his father would stop worrying about the donkeys and would start worrying about him. But this wasn't a bad day and it wasn't bad news that the donkeys were missing. Yahweh had arranged the whole thing to get Saul to the place he needed to be to meet Samuel. Saul's arrival was not a surprise to Samuel; Yahweh told him who to expect and why. This bad day was actually a divine appointment. Of the donkeys that had been lost Samuel told Saul:

But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?” (1 Samuel 9:20)

The donkeys were only an excuse to allow the door to be opened to completing Yahweh's will for Saul and all of Israel. Can we draw similar parallels to events in our lives?

We often, say, sing and pray that we desire the will of our Father but when he begins to work we kick against him. Sometimes we have to become uncomfortable for his will to be fulfilled in us. Saul spent three days on the road, travelling, worrying, searching for what he thought was lost, only to have Yahweh's will fulfilled. That bad day you were experiencing had its purpose but maybe you missed it because you were too worked up about the "donkeys".

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

It is not for us to evaluate if a day is good or bad or to put labels on situations. What they are is opportunities for our Father to do his thing. The only thing that is good or bad is our reaction. If we panic and throw our hands up in frustration, we are blinding ourselves to what the Spirit is doing. If we rest in the peace and assurance of our Father's love, trusting him in all things, we will soon see why the Lord led us through that "valley of the shadow of death". And we need to realize that even though we benefited from it, his purpose is bigger than us.

Saul benefited from being chosen as king but his position was also intended as a blessing, a benefit for the nation of Israel. Don't be self-centered in what the Lord is doing in, through, and around you. Yes, it benefits you, but it is also for the benefit and blessing of everyone connected to you. So let us understand then when Scripture tells us:

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7) 

There are no good and bad days. Rejoice!

The Cross Is For Our Benefit, Not God's

There are very few relationships where the giving is only one sided. Every person who is in your life gets something out of being part of you. None of them exist only to give to you; not your best friend, not your teachers, not even your parents. That is why Jesus is like no other person in your life.

No matter how you look at it, Jesus received nothing from giving himself for you. He came entirely for your benefit. Jesus came so that you can have full life through him:

I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest. (John 10:9-10)

God doesn't need us. He is self contained within the God-head. He does not need the angels. He does not need creation. He does not need mankind. But he created us and made a covenant with us, and even though we broke relationship with him, he never gave up on us. He gave himself entirely so that we could have life to the fullest, as he always intended for us to have, simply because of his word to us.

We certainly didn't merit Jesus' death. We do not merit his love. No matter what we do we could never earn it; never. But he freely gave it at no cost to us and to no benefit for himself. He paid the full cost only for our benefit. No one else could ever show that kind of love for us.

And all we have to do is accept it.

Everything that needs to change in us will be changed by the power of the love we accept into our selves. We don't receive it after we have changed. We change after we accept it because that love transforms us, making us a new creation, and continues to transform us until we are just like Jesus. Again, all for our benefit.

Don't ever think that God did this because he needs something from us. Don't think that he needs our worship, our talents, our offerings. He needs nothing. He did this because of the purest form of love; a love that is God himself. For this we gladly give him our lives, because such love provokes absolute trust, service of gratitude and whole-hearted worship. So take time to come to as deep an understanding of this love as God is willing to reveal to you.

How Is Your Mouth Doing?

So, between us, how's your mouth doing? I know, surrounded by what we are surrounded with, it's hard sometimes not to add colourful words to our vocabulary. I tell my kids that to choose to use such vulgar language shows a lack of imagination and vocabulary. But there are worse things than a poor choice of vocabulary that comes out of our mouth. Words are mean, destructive and powerful if misused and abused. It is amazing what a terrible force of evil our words can be, spoken, sung or written.

Words are like seeds. Once released they can never be taken back; they are never forgotten. They plant themselves in hearts and minds. There they grow into other things, changing people, sometimes igniting wars:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths ... (Ephesians 4:29)

People read that and think like we have talked about here, that it is about crude and vulgar language. Yes, the use of such words hurt and disturb but there is a greater unwholesome talk. There is the talk that tears down and destroys people. There is the spreading of nasty rumours. There is the name calling and labelling. There is the finger pointing and false accusations. There is the complaining and rebellious words spoken in hatred. Yes indeed, there are a lot of words of hate spoken throughout the day. All of this and more is what is unwholesome. Consider what Jesus explained:

What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’ (Matthew 15:11)

What is coming out of our mouth that reveals the hidden secrets and condition of our heart? We are showing more of ourselves than what we release. I knew that much even as a kid. I was always quiet and was very picky who I spoke with because I did not want to reveal too much of myself. Our words are a window into our heart. But now that Jesus is the occupier of that heart I can't talk enough. I want my heart to be seen so people can see Jesus. That's why the words I use must be a reflection of my King:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

The words that come out of our mouth should be words that are useful, important and used for the benefit of others. Words worth speaking are those that encourage and build people up. Our words should defend those who are defenceless, cover those who need forgiveness, comfort those who are in need of  comfort, love those who are loveless. There are seeds that will continue to grow and bear fruit long after we are gone when they are birthed from the love of Jesus.

Our vocabulary is very important and should be a vocabulary of love. You know I am not talking about romance but a selflessness as is revealed in 1 Corinthians 13. Most of you who read this are people of words, of expression, of deep thought. Then consider well your words, whether they are wholesome, and whether they are of benefit to be spoken. There is a reason why our mother's told us "If you have nothing good to say don't say anything at all". But we who are of Christ always have something good to say in every situation, because of his love. Speak well today my friends.