When it Seems Like the Day Hates You

Every once and a while you have one of “those” days. One of those days that feel like they were formed in the very pit of hell. One of those days that knocks you down and when you think it’s safe to get back up, there’s a kick to the gut to bring you back down again. Today was that day for me. Each moment I thought it couldn’t get worse, it got worse. Now towards the end of the night with the kids in bed, cats hiding away somewhere, I can finally sit, reflect and meditate.

Before my husband left to go grab a pop from the store, I asked him to pray with me. I briefly and honestly poured out my thoughts to God. My opening line to God was “Lord this has been a crap-tastic day!” I continued to pray and ask some of the same provisional prayers we’ve been asking for the last 2 years. We said amen and my husband left. As my stewing was simmering down about having one of my worst days, I thought about Job. I don’t know if anyone will ever have as bad a day as Job had. That thought made me laugh a little. Not laugh at Job’s setbacks, but my human ability to twist and view my circumstances as so momentarily hopeless and unconquerable. Job survived the ultimate “crap-tastic” day and I will survive mine.

As quickly as these thoughts swirled in my mind a song began to play in the confines of my memory. It was “Blessed be your name” by Matt Redman. I went on YouTube and played that song. In there is a lyric pulled from the book of Job, “You give and take away. My heart will chose to say blessed be Your name.” It’s inspired by Job 1:21 in which Job says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job was in the midst of shock and grief, having just lost almost everything of importance. Whether or not Job was theoretically correct at that moment, the later half of his statement was undeniably true. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

The reality of God being deserving of blessing and praise is not based on what is coinciding in our lives at the moment. God being deserving of praise is based on an unchanging truth that He is worthy of praise. Psalm 145:3 says “Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.” If I can wrap my head around the fact that though my circumstances change, but God doesn’t, then my reality becomes no matter what is thrown my way “blessed be the name of the Lord”. Now praise becomes a consistent appropriate response to the waves and troubles of life. This is a crucial point because praise, not complaints has the ability to change my circumstances.

The bible is full of stories and examples of men and women gaining victory through praise. Jericho was conquered through praise, not swords and shields. Paul and Silas chains fell off through praise, not picking the locks on their shackles. Praise flips the script from what can I get God to do to look at what God has done. Praise looks at God’s track record. Praise says why should I doubt Him now? I have no reason to doubt Him now.

Deuteronomy 10:21 “Praise him—He is your God, and you have seen with your own eyes the great and astounding things that He has done for you.”

Isaiah 63:7 says, “I will tell of the LORD’s unfailing love; I praise Him for all He has done for us. He has richly blessed the people of Israel because of His mercy and constant love.”

Praise causes us to reflect. Praise causes us to count our blessings. Praise causes us to snap back to reality, the reality that God has never failed us. Praise changes our mindset from solely inward to outward and upward. Praise changed my crap-tastic day into God is still on my side and I need to take a breath and calm down. Praise changed my gut punch of a day to, God has never left me nor forsaken me (Deut 31:6, Heb 13:5). A lifestyle of praise says that God’s goodness is not bound by what went wrong or right today because He is always on my side.