Hard Days
Sometimes, life just seems too hard. Rent is due. Car needs work. Kids need new clothes. Having trouble with my spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend/fill-in-the-blank. On top of it all, some artificial intelligence (AI) is probably about to take my job and make me obsolete!
In some ways, in seems like it would have been easier to live in a different time. In other ways, we can marvel at what we see and be thankful that we live in this time (can you say air conditioning?). The Bible tells us about people who also went through struggles – some of them far worse.
Job
Job 3:1-5 (NASB)
1 Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.
2 And Job said,
3 “Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night which said, A boy is conceived.
4 “May that day be darkness; Let not God above care for it, Nor light shine on it.
5 “Let darkness and black gloom claim it; Let a cloud settle on it; Let the blackness of the day terrify it.
We can understand how Job felt. He had seven sons and three daughters. He was very wealthy, and everyone respected him. In one day, all of his cattle were either stolen or killed, and all of his children were killed. He lost all of his possessions. Later, he got some type of skin disease. He looked and felt horrible. He had nothing. He lost all of his children. All of his friends and neighbors considered him cursed of God, and even the children mocked him. His best friends came to comfort him, but they only made him feel worse.
He no longer wanted to exist. Notice, though, that he never mentioned suicide, nor did he curse God. Instead, he praised God and confirmed his trust in Him.
Job 19:25 (NASB)
25 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
Restoration
Job knew that God was loving and merciful, in spite of what was happening in his life at that time. He knew that God would eventually deliver him, and God did. After a very difficult period, God healed him, gave him seven more sons and three more daughters, restored twice as much wealth as he had before, and restored his position in his community.
This only happened because he remained faithful.
Jeremiah
God called Jeremiah to prophesy against kings and other very powerful people. Of course, they did not like this, so they would often beat him, mock him, and steal his things. This had happened to Jeremiah again, and he was getting very depressed.
Jeremiah 20:14-15 (NASB)
14 Cursed be the day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me!
15 Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, “A baby boy has been born to you!” And made him very happy.
He was still trusting God, and he was giving Him praise, knowing that God would eventually deliver Him. Still, he wondered:
Why Me?
Jeremiah 20:18 (NASB)
18 Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?
Do you ever wonder why it seems like everyone else is doing better than you are (hint: they’re not)? We all go through trials. How we handle them determines if we get closer to God or further away.
Good Days
Yes, good days do come. Probably not as many as we would like, but they do come.
Psalms 34:3-4 (NASB)
3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.
Those who trust in God will be delivered.
Looking Ahead
1 Peter 1:10-12 (NASB)
10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things into which angels long to look.
The Old Testament prophets would prophesy about Jesus, the coming Messiah, the Savior of the world, but they could only see part of the picture. They could not see just how much Jesus was going to do for us, but they longed to see. Even the angels wanted to know what was going to happen.
What a Day!
Luke 2:6-7 (NASB)
6 While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The day that Jesus was born, our salvation was born. This day was going to affect everything that came before, everything that was, and everything that was going to come.
Jesus came to live a perfect life, then teach us how to live an abundant life in Christ, then die for our sins, and be raised up from the dead to give us eternal life.
Fullness of Time
Galatians 4:4-5 (NASB)
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
At the perfect time, Jesus came to earth as a man. He lived under the same constraints, hardships, pains, and difficulties that we all experience. Then, He paid the penalty for our sin. We all deserved death, but He took our place.
Salvation
John 3:16-18 (NASB)
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Jesus came so that we could live with Him forever. Left to ourselves, we had no chance, because no one else has ever lived a perfect, sin-free life. He wants us to trust Him and live for Him, so that we can have eternal life, rejoicing with Him forever.
New Heaven and Earth
Revelation 21:1-4 (NASB)
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
God wants to be with us forever, just like a good father loves to spend time with his children. One day, everything that we know here will pass away, and it will all be new. God will create the perfect place for us to live together with Him for all of eternity.
Oh, what a day! What a day that will be!
Calling
Jesus is calling to you today. Will you answer? Call to Him and speak with Him. He is waiting for you.
If you would like someone to help you with your new life with Jesus, please contact us. We would love the opportunity to get to know you better and help you on this incredible journey.
Leave a Reply