Having A Bad Day
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
One of the things I love about music is a well written song merges a great melody along with words that hit both the head and heart. I listened to the song ‘Bad Day’ the other day because frankly, I had a bad day 😊 What an amazing song! Here are the opening lyrics for those who have never heard the song:
Where is the moment we needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to grey
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on
You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces every time
And I don't need no carryin' on
We all have low moments in life where we need to rely on something or someone. I am grateful for my wife, children, and grandchildren. However, I am constantly reminded of the words of David, who speaks on where his strength comes from saying:
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
It is funny because it became one of my favorite verses because I heard someone sing it in a favorite movie of mine. It is funny how songs can have such a lasting effect on you, but to the point of this writing, it is to serve that when we are down and seemingly feeling out of it, we have a place of refuge that can fill us with strength and encouragement.
Having God with you is like an insurance policy against harm. We all deal with adverse circumstances in life and many of us get hit with them daily. It can feel like an avalanche of bad news and times. In those times, we feel broken. The last time I was there changed my life because at those worse times, that was when God was there to speak to me or send me signs of encouragement and refuge. You see, sometimes we need to be broken to hear His voice best. That is not to say that we cannot hear His voice when things are going well. But when we are at our lowest, it is then God speaks loudest. We cannot turn to anyone or anything else, and that sometimes is the point. Bad times are when we see God moving clearest and are reminded of just how great He is. That is what makes today’s verse reign true. When things are going wrong, it is Jesus Christ who understand, and He gives us rest indeed. And through His teachings, we find not just peace but as David said, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”
God always delivers for us. None of us are promised great days or good times. In fact, even Jesus ackfact,edges as much while noting how confident we should be in Him saying, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) If He can overcome death, surely, He can carry you through whatever you are facing today and beyond. Let us remember that Jesus Christ is always a place of refuge against any challenge we face. What trials and sorrows should you entrust to Jesus today? How can we remind ourselves in our darkest hours who is our place of refuge? My prayer is no matter the situation, we can go to Jesus Christ for rest … even when we are having a bad day. Amen.