By Tope Banso
“This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24 New King James Version).
I slept well in the night, and woke up much early to pray and study. We later had the family morning devotion, after which I left for a prayer meeting with a family. It was a Monday morning, and in company with another servant of God, we had a great time in the prayer meeting with this family. Glory to God!
We were in that joyful mood as I drove back when we started hearing one strange noise from the car. We got somewhere and I parked. We checked and couldn’t locate what was wrong.
Within the premises where I parked, I had some discussions with three gentlemen. One of them, who requested for copies of our Ministry’s publications, went with me to the car to collect some. I was glad to have been a blessing to them.
Then I started driving again and the strange noise from the car persisted. Some minutes later, the car stopped. It had nothing to do with the noise. It was a different issue. We resolved it and took off again, going at a slow speed. Sometimes later, we had a major challenge with the tyre, which I had replaced just the previous week.
There was no cause for alarm. After all, I had a good spare tyre. I brought it out from the boot. The servant of God with me asked for the jack and wheel spanner I told him where they were. He brought them out, but unfortunately, the jack was stiff; it refused to roll at all. Obviously, that was another challenge. How do we replace the tyre?
Thank God for the Holy Spirit. I saw some grease that I had put in the car for a different purpose. We greased the jack and it worked. We removed the tyre and took off again.
Have you had a day like this when an unpleasant thing happened after you’ve experienced something heartwarming or some negative events happened in sequence after a joyful event. People sometimes experience series of frustrations on some days, worse than what I’ve just narrated.
They could suddenly move from experiencing a joyful occurrence to experiencing a series of unpleasant moments. The tendency is to begin to react negatively to these events. That’s what the devil wants. He influences you to begin to have a bad mood, bad attitudes, and as you do, more bad things could begin to occur!
One can get so disturbed about the strange noise from one’s car or the spoilt tyre and rim, or the money it will cost one to fix things that one loses concentration. This could lead to an accident. That could cost one much than what was bothering one.
But that was not my attitude that day. I wouldn’t allow anything or the devil to spoil my day. I began to sing, “I know my Redeemer liveth…” as I drove the car to the automobile mechanic’s workshop and later to where I bought and replaced the tyre.
In less than two hours, everything was fixed. As I drove off after fixing the tyre, I said, “Devil, you’re a loser!” My day ended well to the glory of God, despite the expenses incurred. It wasn’t a bad day. I got home and wrote the message to post the next day, and had a good night rest thereafter. Whatever happens, don’t let the devil spoil your day.
Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (New King James Version). Everyday is made by God; the devil didn’t make any day! The devil only tries to make the days evil (Ephesians 5:16). Don’t let the devil spoil your day with some unexpected negative occurrences.
Those events could be because of your mistakes or the mistakes of others, or the wickedness of the devil and his agents. Nevertheless, don’t let that spoil your mood and your day. Control your emotions: don’t let your emotions control you, even in grief.
The day Peter and John healed the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate, the first recorded healing by the disciples of Jesus after His ascension, the same day they were arrested. They spent the night in jail, when they should be rejoicing with the other disciples at the new thing God had begun to do through them (Acts 3:1-10, 4:1-4).
After Peter and John had faced the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin, the following day, they were charged not to speak at all or preach again in the name of Jesus. The Sanhedrin then let them go.
In Acts 16:16-40, Paul and Silas used the name of Jesus to cast out a demon from a slave girl, who was a fortune-teller and had been following them about. How thankful to God they must have been for ending the nuisance the girl was becoming to their ministry!
However, what followed was unpleasant. They were dragged before the authorities, thoroughly beaten and put in prison, under maximum security. Eventually, the following morning, they regained their freedom with apologies tendered to them. But one significant result of their imprisonment was the salvation of the jailer and his family.
Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all” (New King James Version). The New Living Translation puts it this way: “The righteous face many troubles, but the LORD rescues them from each and every one.” The Message says, “Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there for them.”
Beloved, whatever your experiences are any day, always know that God is there for you. He will turn everything to your advantage. Don’t be depressed or remain downcast because of anything. The psalmist says, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance” (Psalm 42:5 New King James Version). He said a similar thing in verse 11.
Whenever events are happening to you that could make you feel depressed, remember the LORD. Verse 6 of Psalm 42 says, “O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar” (New King James Version).
Remember the LORD; remember His Word, His promises, His goodness. Don’t focus on things that have happened or are happening; focus on the LORD. Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Whatever you meditate upon, good or bad, shall eventually be magnified. Mediate upon the Word of God, the promises of God. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8 New King James Version).
Child of God, God is in control of your life; the devil is not. God is in charge, not Satan. God made every day you live in on the earth, not the devil. God will work whatever happens together for your good. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 New King James Version).
No matter what happens, don’t let Satan spoil your day. You may not be able to control what happens, but you can control your reactions. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Let your reactions make you better, not bitter. Don’t spoil your day.
Prophet Habakkuk said, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls — Yet I will rejoice in the LORD , I will joy in the God of my salvation” ( Habakkuk 3:17-18 New King James Version).
Whining, grumbling, lamenting, and the rest won’t change a bad occurrence. They won’t fix a bad car, repair a faulty phone, buy a new laptop, heal a sick child, reschedule a cancelled appointment, and so on. They’ll only make your situation worse. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (New King James Version).
Writing from his prison in Rome, Paul said, “Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith” (Philippians 3:1 New Living Translation). Imagine a prisoner encouraging the Christians at Philippi, who were not in confinement, to rejoice! Ideally, they should have been the one encouraging him to rejoice. But Paul was a man of faith. Rejoicing will help safeguard your faith.
Whatever happens, don’t let it spoil your day. Don’t let the devil spoil your day. Again, Paul said from the prison, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:4-5 New King James Version).
The LORD has made every day; don’t hand over yours to the devil by the way you react or respond to negative happenings. Live every day to the glory of God. Be controlled by the Holy Spirit. All shall be well in Jesus’ name.
PRAYER POINT: Father, I won’t allow Satan to spoil my day. No matter what happens, I’ll look unto You. I’ll be controlled by the Holy Spirit.
This is wisdom for living, and it’s worth sharing. Please share.
(For over 260 in-depth and insightful messages by T.O. Banso, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
▪ Banso, a pastor, is head of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria
cedarministryintl@yahoo.com, cedarministryng@gmail.com
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