This is NOT Your Day!
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! – Philippians 4:4 NKJV.
See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 NKJV.
48-year-old Johnnie Butts tried to sell some fake gold jewelry to the wrong man. It happened in a Sudbury Farms store in Massachusetts. The man Johnnie picked to try to sell the jewelry to was Randolph Chief of Police, William Pace. Chief Pace also owns a jewelry store. Chief Pace says that he told the man that, “…this is really not your day. First of all, I’m a cop, and second of all, I’m in the jewelry business.” Johnnie has been charged with attempting to commit larceny by false pretense. (Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Massachusetts – January 20, 2011)
Everyone of us have probably had a bad day of one kind, or another. Maybe not as bad as Johnnie had, but we still felt like it was horrible. Of course, some of you have had even worse days, at least some of us would think that you did.
How should the Christian respond when you have a bad day? The apostle Paul had more than his share of bad days as he shares in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness – besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” In spite of suffering these things Paul still was able to say, “Rejoice always.” Paul also said that in everything that we should give thanks for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.
Having joy during the bad times is a choice. We choose to have joy. We choose to be thankful during the worst of times. What do we have to be joyful about when everything is going down in flames around us? We can rejoice that Romans 8:28 is true knowing “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” We can be thankful even during the very worst of times that God demonstrated “His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).” We can be thankful, and rejoice, because we “can consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls (Hebrews 12:3).”
So, make the choice! When the world would say you are having a bad day, rejoice! Because you have a Savior who loves you and died for you. When world says this is just not your day, thank God that He will bring good out of what the world says is bad. “…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
(Having joy during the bad times is a choice. We choose to have joy. We choose to be thankful during the worst of times.)