Originally published on Vine of Life News
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Bad days…we all have them. Some days it just seems that you should not have gotten out of bed. Then there are those days that are not as bad as that, but you still want the day to be done!

Some days qualify for epic bad day status, a loved one passed away, we receive really bad news like a cancer diagnosis, we suffer a severe injury etc. These days are tough to deal with no doubt about it.

Our common enemy Satan will do all he can to ensure we have as many bad days as possible and to make them as bad as he can through his influence. If you are one who serves the Lord in any capacity on a regular basis, you can be assured you are a target of the evil one.

When you are in the midst of trials and tribulations what do you do? It is easy to let yourself be carried away by the frustration and anger, to get caught up in why me? syndrome. I have done this and still do at times to be honest, I’m human and I fail. What purpose does this serve though? Does any good come from getting caught up in negative thinking and being carried away on the tide of emotion? Obviously the answer to that is a resounding no!Well then what should we be doing when calamity strikes, when Bad Day Himself (there is such a spirit running around right?) 🙂 darkens our doorstep?

First thing to do, VERY first thing we need to do…before even asking God to help us. Call out to God yes, but praise His Holy Name and give thanks to Him for all things…including your present circumstances. Sounds insane doesn’t it? Why on earth would I want to be thankful for bad things? Ever hear of a sacrifice of praise? If praising God was always easy, there would be no sacrifice involved right? Your praise to God in the midst of severe trials and pain means more to Him than does the praise you offer on Sunday morning. In the same way, an offering made to God in the collection plate on Sunday that cost you something also means more than giving out of abundance does.

Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

God has allowed bad things into your life and will allow more, count on it. I can hear you saying it, “but why would God allow bad things to happen to me, I don’t deserve this”? Sometimes God will allow bad things to happen because we DO deserve it because of something we have done against Him. However, there are plenty of things that can happen, that are allowed in your life that have nothing whatsoever to do with what you do or do not deserve.

God allows many things into our lives for a simple reason and it has nothing to do with sin; to teach us something.I’m sure you have heard the old adage seeing is believing? Well maybe you are a little to dependent on your fleshly senses…and need to learn to walk by faith; what you do not see. Maybe you are living in a particular sin, so God allows some things to happen to get your attention so that you will learn that you need to stop doing this thing. Maybe your trust in God is lacking, you are too disobedient (can we ever be obedient enough?, I doubt it), maybe you are to judgmental. The list could go on forever. The point is God often allows something to happen in our life and will continue to allow it until we learn what He is trying to teach us!

This is simply another way that we know how deeply God loves us. Crazy right? God allows things that hurt us and this is good??? YES it is! Think of it this way; you have kids and are raising them right you hope. Often we as parents will try to prevent our children from doing things that will hurt them because we love them. That being said however, if we are truly good parents we will intentionally let our children fall down and get hurt though it pains us to do so….why? Because often the best lessons learned are learned by way of pain and hardship, if the lesson is easy, we tend not to learn it. We love our children enough to allow them to fail so as to learn and grow as people…this is a very loving thing to do. God loves us more than we can ever love Him or our kids spouses etc; and He does the same thing with us! Ever see the child, young adult etc that gets away with everything, never seems to have to pay the piper for wrong doing?? No one likes this person but secretly we all have wished we could get away with everything. This is the one that mom and dad always cleaned up the mess for, never allowing that person to fall down and get hurt. It is also the same one who when on his or her own some day will not know how to live in the world and will be in serious trouble when no one is around to fix it.

Has God allowed turmoil and problems in your life? Be thankful…He loves and cares about you enough to try to teach you the error of your ways.Read the following scriptures about what God allowed in the Apostle Paul’s life.

2 Corinthians 11:20-33

20 For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. 21 To our shame, I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold–I speak foolishly–I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ?–I speak as a fool–I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 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; 26 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; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness– 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? 30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.

Listen to the following song by MercyMe and concentrate on the lyrics:

Bring the Rain

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I’ve gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It’s never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there’ll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that’s what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

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Categories: Christian Living, God's Lovingkindness, Teens/Kids

Tags: Apostle Paul, Belief, Christianity, Faith, God, Satan, Sin, Trials, Tribulations, Trust, Truth, Walking with God