I’m Having A Bad Day

What would you define as a bad day? Bad traffic? A strained relationship? Trying to get over your past, and it’s hitting you hard today? Needing to overcome an addiction? Being broke? What’s a bad day for you?

I suppose it depends on what you compare it to.

WHAT A BAD DAY REALLY LOOKS LIKE

I’m reading today, and Isaiah says about Jesus’ suffering:

“Many people were shocked when they saw him. His appearance was so damaged he did not look like a man; his form was so changed they could barely tell he was human.” (Isaiah 52:14 NCV)

Think about that. His appearance was so badly damaged that people were shocked when they looked at Him.

WHY WAS JESUS CHRIST BORN

So why was Christ born? Why did He need to live a perfect—and I mean perfect, without sin—life? Why was He beaten? Why did He have to die?

Isaiah had already told us:

“He was hated and rejected by people. He had much pain and suffering… But he was wounded for the wrong we did; he was crushed for the evil we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him, and we are healed because of his wounds.” (Isaiah 53:3,5 NCV)

That last line gets quoted a lot in connection with physical healing, but in the context Isaiah is talking about something much deeper: our sin and our separation from God. We were spiritually lost and headed toward death, and Christ came to give us life—to forgive our sins, reconcile us to God, and give us eternal life with Him.

WHAT FORGIVENESS LOOKS LIKE

And forgiveness doesn’t mean, Great, now I can sin all I want. Paul addressed that directly: “So do you think we should continue sinning so that God will give us even more grace? No! We died to our old sinful lives, so how can we continue living with sin?” (Romans 6:1-2 NCV)

Grace should change the way we live.

Christ’s “bad day” involved a beating so severe that Isaiah describes Him as barely recognizable. Then He was crucified—nailed to a wooden cross, suffering until He died.

Why?

To save you. And me.

HOW ARE YOU LIVING

So maybe today is a good day to ask a much bigger question than, Am I having a bad day?

Am I living like someone Jesus died to save?

Have you accepted God’s offer through Christ—not merely believing that Jesus existed, but receiving Him as Lord and Savior and surrendering your life to Him? And if you have, are you living with gratitude for what He has done?

Jesus’ commands aren’t intended to rob you of life. He came to give you life. His way teaches us how to actually live it.

CONCLUSION

So I’ll leave you with this question today:

Are you living as a saved person? And if you’re not saved, why wouldn’t you want to receive what Jesus Christ suffered and died to give you?

GOD — help us see truth, understand what Jesus did for us, and live like people who have been rescued. IJNIP amen ♥️