A Bad Day

I know the answer to this question before I even ask you, “Have you ever had a bad day?” Everyone has a bad day every once in a while. You know, the kind of day when your alarm clock didn’t go off, you can’t find your other black shoe, your hair doesn’t do right, you have an argument with your spouse or your kids before leaving home, you catch every red light in town, and then when you finally get to wherever you are going, it starts to rain and you realize you left your umbrella at home!

You are not alone! I was having a particularly rotten day a few months ago. I was very discouraged, and nothing seemed to be going right. Suddenly, a delivery van from a local florist pulled into the driveway. “Aha!”, I said. Someone has sent me flowers to brighten my day!

I opened the door and greeted the delivery person. Well, my excitement was short-lived. I soon found out that the delivery person driving the van from the local florist was at the wrong house! I was disappointed to say the least!

Yes, we all have days like this one. Maybe you have even had days when you felt that the whole world was against you. My friend, you are not alone. There were many times that David felt this way. He had to flee from the jealous King Saul; he fell into sin; he lost an infant son to death; incest occurred among his children; he lost one son to murder; he lost yet another son in battle.

One Psalm of David says, “My heart is severely pained within me. And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. So I said, ‘Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.’” (Psalm 55:4-6, NKJV)

So what should you do the next time you’re having a bad day and wished you had wings to fly away? The answer is easier than you think. First, get alone for a minute. Second, take a deep breath. Third, read your favorite encouraging scripture from the book of Psalm. Lastly, praise God anyway!

If you can’t have your Bible with you at all times, write your favorite scripture on index cards, and stick them in your pocket! Two verses that always encourage me greatly are Psalm 9:9-10, “The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.”

God promises us in His Word that He will never leave us nor forsake us. So, the next time you are having a bad day, remember that you are not alone. Call on God; He is our refuge in times of trouble. He will hear you and answer your prayer. n