"BAD DAY"

"So you had a bad day......" There's a song with that very line in it and don't you just know how true that statement is!!?? We all have a bad day now and again. Some more than others. Unfortunately that's just all part of life. We have mountains and valleys, twists and turns, ups and downs, ins and outs. All for various reasons and for very specific purposes. Our God is very gracious to us in the fact that He helps us in every situation in life and is there "ALL" the time as opposed to "some" of the time. However when those down times come and those valleys get very deep and you're having a hard time finding your way out just remember Jesus is interdeding for you. We are warned in the Bible that satan is "going to and fro seeking whom he may devour." His goal is to destroy usw and everything we are about. Our families, our churches, our testimony, our children, even to the point of destroying our lives completely. He stops at nothing short of what God allows and that is to the point of taking our life, which thankfully he has no control over!! I recall a time in the Bible where Simon Peter was told by Jesus that satan had sought to "sift him as wheat." To "sift him" meant he was seeking to destroy him and Jesus knew Peter was well on his way to destruction at this point as this was right before Peter was told he would deny Christ 3 times!!! Peter could not have possibly comprehended the magnitude of what satan wanted to do to him. What bigger valley could he have been facing, right?! But remember I told you Jesus loves us more than we could ever imagine? How do I know? Because right after Jesus warned Peter about this He told him: "But I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail....." Jesus Himself, prayed for Peter! He petition3d the Father on his behalf!!! Can you imagine that? Jesus praying for you? How awesome!! It's true! He intercedes on our behalf when satan is out to sift us just like he did Peter. What more encouragement do we really need when we face those down times that we have than to know that Christ is personally talking to His Father on our behalf!! So the next time you face a bad situation or are feeling particularly down, finish this sentence and fill in the blank with your name. "__________________ satan has desired to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed that your faith will not fail!!!"

"Who is the one who condemns? Christ
Jesus is the One who died,
but even more, has been raised;
He also is at the right hand of God and
intercedes for us."
Romans 8:34

"LIFE INTERRUPTED"

Have you ever had a appointment you’ve had to cancel or reschedule by no choice of your own? Well, most of you know that my husband has a tradition of going out on Christmas Eve doing most of our Christmas shopping. This year it didn’t happen that way. With the economy being what it has been for the last several months and my husband being on a 4- day work week for several months we had already warned everyone that Christmas would “not” be what it has been in the past. Finances were just not there for it as it had been in the past. So….we set out on a new venture this year and went shopping the day after Thanksgiving, which my husband had never done before! First time for everything they say!! We initially went for one thing that they had on a “great sale” for our son. We had been watching the papers closely for the best sales we could get with the finances we had. We ended up doing the vast “majority” of our shopping that day at one store!!. We were to excited that we had it almost done, but were more excited that we were able to use the change we had saved during the year to shop with!! What a blessing!!! However, as the next few weeks unfolded it became clear to us the reason things happened the way they did! It was a very different Christmas season than we’d ever been accustomed to.

Many know the change in plans, interruptions if you will, and unscheduled events my family and I have had in the past couple of months. But if not, we had three funerals in two weeks, one of which was my husband’s mother, another a dear friend and church member and if that weren’t enough the elderly lady who lives with us ended up in the hospital for two weeks in the middle of all of it! There would have been no time for any shopping in the middle of all that going on, but God, in all His divine wisdom, knew what would be going on. I’m so grateful that God knows everything that’s going on before we do and He can make provisions that we know nothing about.

At some point in everyone’s life schedules have to be changed and appointments have to be cancelled or rearranged! Interruptions happen!! My hope is that everyone has their appoinment scheduled for Heaven. It’s important to get that done in advance, just like we did with our Christmas shopping. God has made provisions for you also to get that done. Every day of your life is another opportunity to “take time out” of your schedule and pencil God in. Well, actually once you’ve “penciled” him in, He puts you in with His “permanent” ink!!! God has carefully orchestrated an appointment for us that we will “have” to keep and it may very well intefere with our other schedules and appointments just like it did with ours, my mother-in-laws and our dear church member. It was an appointment that they had no idea they would keep on the day they did, but when God called their name, they were ready to step up and take their turns. So, instead of getting irritated that your schedule had to change, just know that our Father knows what’s best for us. And, while you’re planning your life, make sure you put God in your schedule so when it’s time for your appointment with God it won’t be dreaded but a greatly anticipated one!! You can be very sure, He has an appointment with you that you “will” keep no matter what you have “penciled” in. At that point a major interruption will come! A joyous one if you know Him!!!

“And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement…”
Hebrews 9:27