"So You've Had A Bad Day" by Keith Cook
Everyday I encourage everyone to have a time alone with God. Recently I personally learned once again how important it is to let God speak to you every day.
Recently, I had a very hard day. I had gotten up out of bed and immediately been faced with one crisis after another. I jumped out of sleep into chaos. I had to hurry about my day putting out fires. I whispered a prayer several times through the day just to get through all the hurdles.
It was a horrible day:
One staffer had a flat tire and would not be at work, and another was away on a family emergency.
Someone I was mentoring was falsely ridiculed for being faithful and loyal to their family and for honoring their mother and father.
A festival committee that we had been working with over a year chose to invite another ministry to hold their event.
One long time friend severely hurts me and confounds me with their actions and words.
When I get home, Joan is deep in study. She had gone home early to prepares some notes for our upcoming project. I hate to bother her but need to talk. I replay my day and dump my emotional and spiritual baggage on her.
After dinner Joan retires for bed early and I slip into my easy chair to watch some television. Out of the corner of my eye I glance over and look at a table where Joan and I dump all our loads of books, papers, mail, and junk when we get in to the house. Sitting up on top of the pile is my big black preaching Bible. I hardly ever study or read from this Bible. It is reserved for sermon notes and outlines.
For some strange reason I pause the football game and go over to where the Bible is resting and pick it up. It is like God is inviting me to read a special message from Him.
This is some of what I read:
"The Lord will protect him and keep him alive, " Psalm 41:2
"Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me." Psalm 41:9
"As for me, Thou dost uphold me in my integrity, and Thou dost set me in Thy presence forever." Psalm 41:12
When I read this chapter it was just as if God was talking straight to me - He knew about the growing fear in my heart for the safety of my team - He knew about the pain I was feeling for being rejected by others and not being allowed to preach in a city I had been praying and working towards - He knew about the friend who was disappointing me. God knew it all. His Word had an answer for every situation I had faced during my day.
God told me several things from these passages. I believe they will speak to you also and that there are principles that each of us can look to for direction on those hard days.
1. God will protect me and He will protect you! At home or on the road I have His protection. God is so good to let me know - in advance - that I, and my team, are going to be safe traveling in and out of Pakistan. I just know that this is a personal word to me. This is not a horoscope - it is the Word of God. I can count on His protection.
This is not a guarantee that I can chant to assure protection but a promise made from a dad to his son for a specific task. You do not have to agree or see it - it is for me and my walk with God. It is not contrary to the Word of God, His character, His principles. Nor is it presumption - it is faith in the revealed Word spoken to my heart.
2. God alone gives life and takes it away. If I am trusting Him whatever happens to me I can count on it being for my good, and for His glory and in line with His divine plan. I want the Fathers will more than I want my will. When it is my time to leave this life and travel to the next it will be on God's terms not chance, fate, luck, tragedy, or the devil.
3. Even close friends can be wrong and can hurt you. Their actions, advise, and inactions can often sting greater than the fiery darts of the devil. To be hurt by someone you relax with and eat with is the ultimate hurt. You expect your enemies to hurt you but not your friends.
God in a very supernatural way, through His Word, let me know - and He can let you know - that He takes notice and cares about all my troubles. He wants me to know that he can heal my wounded spirit and fix my broken heart. He wants you to know that too. Let God work on that sorrow. Give Him a chance to work before you give up in despair.
4. My only course of action is to go and attack each situation with Integrity.
No complaining, yelling, accusing, and antagonizing co-workers for situations out of their control.
I am to pray for each of my friends and other believers that they can be strong even when they are falsely accused.
I can not react with pride, jealousy, or anger when I am denied a desire of my heart. (I must submit to the local church's authority and trust that they have the mind of Christ when they make a decision)
That means I must forgive my friends who wrong me and bless them with kindness and love, even as Christ loves me when I wrong and disappoint Him.
Fear must not be allowed to cause me to shrink back into mediocre ministry when God has a job for me to do. I am to be His servant.
No matter what my schedule says, how busy I get, how hectic my day - I am to be a man of integrity - I am to live every moment under the direction of the Holy Spirit. I do not have the right or carnal luxury of reacting in the flesh when God has given a divine direction or directive. I must act on the revealed will of God.
What about you? As you read the passages above or as you read you Bible or pray to God today - what is He saying to your heart? You may not get the same inspiration or inclinations that I have received. But, if you dig into His Word you will be given strength to make it through any day.
Thank you for letting me share a very personal and real incident in my life. I thought you might like to hear what God has been speaking to my heart. He knows all our fears, sorrows, opportunities, and plans.
Daily Prayer Focus: Pray for your pastor, missionaries, evangelists, and others in Christian ministry that as they face spiritual warfare they will stand faithful and not grow weary. Send someone you know a note of encouragement today and let them know that you are praying for them.
Thank you for taking the time to pray for this important division of On The Go Ministries. For more information on any our ministries here at On The Go, you may send your questions to info@onthego.org.
On The Go Daily Devotion for September 29, 2013
Brought to you each day by On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team
Copyright (c) 2002, 2013 On The Go Ministries / Keith Cook Team
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