Not a good day but I am blessed in the Lord

[VERMAURICE BROWN]

Not a good day but I am blessed in the Lord

How many of you ever have bad days? How many of you had one this week? How many of you are having one RIGHT NOW?

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Psalm 27:4-5

Maybe you got turned down for a job that you really wanted. And it ruined your mood for the rest of the day.
Or maybe your best friend told you he oe she didn’t want to be your friend anymore. And it broke your heart.

No matter what it is, we ALL have bad days.

Now you might think that we will never get the hard times like Job had, buyt we all have had som kind of situation to hapen to us like him.

Satan hits everybody. He is in heaven askiung God if he can do this to whom ever.

Maybe you’re thinking, "What’s HE doing up there? I know we’re going to be surprised to see certain people in heaven. But this is ridiculous! Satan is the LAST person I would expect to see! What’s going on here?"

Believe it or not, the devil is like a dog on a leash. And he needs permission from on high to test the people of faith. How do I know that? Because Psalm 97:9 says "For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods." And that includes Satan.

Well, we know from the Bible that the devil doesn’t just "roam around" doing nothing. 1 Peter 5:8 says that "The devil roams around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

Psalm 97:9 says "For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods." And that includes Satan.

We all get tested now or then, just be in good faith and courage to hold on.

There’s something here that I need to mention. Number one: It is a privilege to be picked by God for a period of testing. It means that God is taking an active interest in the direction of your life. God is saying "I’m going to do whatever it takes to make you more like Jesus Christ. I’m going to do whatever I can to turn your heart away from worldly things and more toward spiritual things. I want everyone to see that your trust is in me when times are good. And your trust is in me even when times are NOT good!"

You say, "Minister Vermaurice, for me, times are not good. I have this chronic medical problem that won’t go away. None of the pills do me any good. Why is God letting this happen?"

Or you say, "Minister Vermaurice, kids pick on me at school all the time. Why doesn’t God do anything about it? Why is God testing me?"

First of all, everything we experience in life is a test. God is asking "Will you hand this situation over to Me? Will you trust Me and look to me and pray to Me about your problems? Will you lean on Me even when life is hard?"

A second thing to remember is that God uses the good things in life AND the bad things to make us more like Christ.

God is using all of the pressures and strains and stresses of this life to transform us into the glorious image of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6 says that these trials have come so that your faith may be proved genuine, and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Satan wants us to turn our backs against God, where he tried to get Job to do.

God allows Satan to test Job. And in verse 13, Satan wastes no time in going to work. While the sons and daughters are feasting, a messenger goes to Job and says "The Sabeans attacked and carried off the oxen and the donkeys. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger goes to Job and says, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking another messenger goes up to Job and says, "The Chaldeans attacked and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

While he was still speaking, another messenger goes to Job and says, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the older brother’s house when a mighty wind swept in and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them, and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

Job was having a very bad day. How would you handle a day like that? What should we do when bad things happen to God’s people?

Some of us shake our fists. We say, "If you’re an all powerful, all loving God, then why did you let this happen? Why didn’t you do something? You’re not a God of love! You’re mean!"

Satan was hoping that this is how Job would respond.

But watch Job’s reaction in verse 20. When he hears the news about his kids. He gets up. He tears his robe. And he shaves his head as a sign of mourning. (as you can see from the top of my shiny head, I’ve been gradually mourning for the past ten years!)

Then Job falls to the ground. And he worships the Lord: He says "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised." In other words, "Lord, this is your world, and you have the right to run it anyway You wish. But even in my hour of sadness, I trust you completely. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

What an incredible response! Job trusted God. Even when he had every reason to be angry. Even when his heart was filled with pain. Even when he had no idea what was going on.

And that makes Satan mad! In chapter one, he attacks Job’s wealth. And now in chapter two, he attacks Job’s health. He covers Job from head to toe with painful sores. And Job is so itchy that he takes a piece of broken pottery and he scrapes himself with it.

But even though his wife tries to get him to curse God and die, even though his friends try to tell him that somehow this is all his fault, even though Job has his moments of doubt and pain, he never turns away from the Lord. In Job 19:25, he says "I know that my Redeemer Lives, and in the latter day, he shall stand upon the earth. And even though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I shall see God! I myself will see Him and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" In other words, ’Someday, this will all be explained! Someday, God will give me the answers I desire! Some day, I will meet Him face to face! Some sweet and glorious day, all things will be rectified, and I will be vindicated before Almighty God!’

And that’s what happens. In chapters 38-41, God appears to Job and says "In the same way you cannot fully comprehend the mysteries of the physical world, you cannot fully comprehend the mystery of human suffering. The only thing you need to know right now is that I am the Creator of the universe and you can trust Me."

And Job basically says "Sounds good to me!" Actually, he’s so awestruck by the presence of God that he totally forgets about the questions he was going to ask!

But the story ends well for Job. Later on in Job 42, God rewards Job for his faith. He ends up with twice as much stuff as he had before. And he lives happily ever after.

We all have bad days. But Jesus Christ is the One who can bring you through with flying colors. Jesus Christ is the One who can take the difficult things in life and use them to make you wiser and stronger.

This morning, we’re going to pray about our problems. Maybe it’s a marriage problem. And you want God to save your marriage.

Or maybe it’s a money problem. And you need financial wisdom from on high.

Whatever it may be, let’s hand it over to God in prayer. Let’s bow our heads in reverence before the Lord.