I have learned that each day, as I face life’s struggles, I have choices to make. I can choose to allow those struggles to swallow me up, or I can face them with God’s empowering, and rise above the challenges.
I have the ability, because of my relationship with Jesus, to make every day a great day. You also can have that same opportunity. You can make every day a great day, no matter the struggles you face. Jesus offers this opportunity to all who will call upon Him as Lord and Savior.
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying that life’s struggles aren’t hard. I’m not saying that sometimes our hearts aren’t “shred” by the circumstances of life. Because they are. Spouses are unkind. Friends can hurt your feelings. Finances can tank. Health matters can be life threatening.
What I’m saying is that in those most heart wrenching times, we can decide to walk in the joy of the Lord. We can decide to lean on Jesus, and make it a great day.
Why? Because when Jesus is our Lord and Savior, the final chapter of His plan for our lives is eternity in His presence. That’s the ultimate great day we look forward to!
Let’s consider a few people whose lives were filled with great challenges, but who chose to make it a great day.
We can begin with Job. He was a man who loved God. He served God, and was faithful to lead his family for God’s glory. One day (Job 1:13-19) Job got news that all his oxen were taken by his enemies, and they killed all but one servant. That’s a bad day. However, that day doesn’t end there…no, all his sheep and other servants, but one, were killed. Enough already, we would cry! But God had more bad news coming Job’s way – another enemy carried off all his camels and those servants were also killed, but one. It continued with the news that all his children were together and died in what was likely a hurricane or tornado.
Job grieved, but praised God, and never blamed Him for all the disasters he was living through (Job 1:20-22).
How could he have responded to all that heartache with the attitude of worship? It was because he had spent time getting to know God, and had a high view of His Maker. He knew God was in control. He could choose to deny or worship God. He chose worship, because denying God makes the day even worse.
If you continue to read Job 2, you will find that Job was struck with nasty boils. His wife wanted him to deny God, and his “friends” were anything but friendly.
That is a lot of misery for one person. But God can turn it around, and Job knew that. Job had to go through these tough lessons, but on the other end he knew his Maker better than before. Job’s hope in God never failed him, and he made his struggles known to Him. That’s how we turn a nasty day into a great day.
King David was another man whose life was filled with raw aches from many different angles. His best friend’s father attempted to kill him. He had his own children turn on him. He was a man in constant battle with the nations around him. He was often on the run. He lost a child in his infancy. But God carried David through each of these horrific situations.
In Psalm 16 (ESV) David gives us a wonderful example of how to depend upon God when life just doesn’t go the way we like it to go:
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; heir drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
God’s joy can carry us through whatever painful situations we encounter. He accompanies His joy with mercy, grace, hope, and unfailing lovingkindness.
How dependent upon God are you for the comfort only He can bring when life is rough?
The Apostle Paul is another man who fully understood the extreme hardships of living this life serving His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Paul’s writings, we never hear a word of complaint. Instead, he considers the trials opportunities to rejoice:
Romans 5:3-5 (ESV) “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Why did Paul rejoice? He rejoiced because he understood God was developing hope….hope in the future eternal destiny of the life with Jesus that awaited him.
Paul was able to make great days out of nasty circumstances because he kept his eyes focused on the goal:
Acts 20:24 “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
2 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV) “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Scripture is filled with testimonies of people whose lives were committed to trusting and obeying God, no matter the horrific challenges they faced. Hebrews 11 briefly reviews the lives of many of God’s people who chose to suffer for His sake, rather than reject God.
What is threatening your peace and joy? What is attempting to knock you off your feet, and cause you to feel undone? What is attempting to shake you so that it is a challenge to think that today can be a great day?
Whatever it is, God is not surprised by it. You can make the choice to not allow circumstances to drag you down. With God, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). With God, you can decide to make it a great day.
Consider Mary, Jesus’ earthly mother. Imagine being in her shoes. A young Jewish gal, becoming pregnant out of wedlock. Certainly that threatened her having a great day. She could have worried about what people thought. She could have worried about being ostracized by her family. She could have worried about how she was going to support herself. There were plenty of “what ifs” that threatened her great day. But God. But God comforted her, and encouraged her.
Mary, in Luke 1:38 decided to make it a great day:
“Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
Toss away all those what ifs. Allow Jesus to rule and reign, and you will find that He will do far more for you than you ever conceive. It may not be instant, but God will never fail nor forsake His own, as these verses remind us:
Deuteronomy 31:8: “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Hebrews 13:6: “So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
If you are having trouble “making it a great day”, please contact me. I would enjoy listening to you, and praying with you.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!
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Copyright 2020 Donna Shappy
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