To the one having a hard day:

Hi friend! I’m writing this because, like you, my day, for lack of a better word, sucked. That saying “when it rains, it pours” is so true. It’s like one thing goes wrong and then another and another and another….. if you’ve had a hard day, hard week, or even a hard month. I’m here for you! I hope you’re able to find some encouragement through this today!

When we’re having a bad day, it’s easy to face it with a negative attitude. It’s easy to look at this hard day and allow the emotions to eat you alive. It’s easy to look at it and forget where God is. When we’re at our highest, praising God is second nature. But what about when we’re in our storms? Do you find yourself praising Him or asking Him why? Today, I found myself guilty of the latter.

Sitting in my reflection time, it was easy for me to list off all the bad things that happened, but what wasn’t easy was finding the good. As I was praying for a change in my moral for the next day, God led me to reflect on the life of David. I’ve been doing the “Bible Recap” again with my women’s group in my church and have had the pleasure of rereading about David and his struggles in the Psalms. Today, I wanted to touch on Psalm 43.

Psalm 43 is how so many of us feel when we’ve had a bad day. Hopeless. Lost. Sad. Depressed. Maybe even feel as though the world is against you. David was no stranger to these feelings. Without going into great depth, David had a tough life, but in his life, he shows us the importance of hope. Jackie Hill Perry spoke on this during her sermon at Passion, and honestly, I’ve not been able to stop thinking of it.

Psalm 43 begins with David expressing his anger to God. David was frustrated with God for not bringing his idea of justice to those who caused him to suffer. David was no stranger to expressing his feelings, and this Pslam is the perfect example that when you’re having a bad day, it’s okay to feel upset. You’re not wrong by feeling these emotions because you are simply human. But this Pslam doesn’t end in sadness and despair. Psalm 43:5 is where we see the turn in David’s heart.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Pslam 43:5

See. David, though hurt and upset with God for the wrongdoings of others, was able to remove his human emotions from the situation and check his own heart. He found that he was placing hope in others and none in God. He was angry that God didn’t work things out the way HE wanted them to. So many of us are like David.

So many times we get angry with God because we’ve had a bad day, someone was unkind to us, people aren’t being “brought to justice” the way we want, we got a bad grade on a test, we had a bad day at work, or even all the above. We get so caught up in our human emotions and misplaced hope that we forget the creator of the universe works absolutely everything for our good and His glory!

I don’t know what caused your bad day. I don’t know what you’re personally struggling with. But I do know that no matter what the day brings, God is ALWAYS in it! So ask yourself, why, my soul, are you cast down? Now, take those exact things to God! God has a plan, friend. I don’t know what yours is, but I do know that it is GOOD!

I say it all the time, but as Christians, we are not guaranteed life won’t be hard. We are not guaranteed good days for as long as we live. In some ways, our lives tend to be harder because the devil wants to take us away from God. In times of trouble and hardship, please don’t forget that God has not ever left your side.

No matter if you’ve had a bad day, week, month, or even year, God has not left you. You might be having trouble hearing Him because instead of listening for His voice, you’re waiting for Him to carry out the “justice” you feel is deserved and placing your hope in that. HOPE IN GOD! He will prevail. Your bad day might feel like the end, but friend, it is simply the next journey in your story. Embrace it. I know it’s hard, but it’s so necessary.

Your stress, worry, anger, etc., is only going to hurt you. Place your hope in the goodness of God and all He’s doing! Praise Him in the bad because this is where the real work begins.

If you need a prayer or needed to hear this, comment amen!