Have you ever had “one of those days?” Maybe you've had a few bad days this month, this week, or maybe you're having one today?

I know I've had just a few bad days myself recently, and on one of those days when I was trying to find some encouragement by reading my Bible, I found myself reading in the book of Acts. Maybe you’re familiar with the story of Saul of Tarsus (who was later re-named Paul). He was certainly a guy who saw his fair share of bad days! First to give you some background…

Several decades after Jesus’ death, Saul (born a Roman citizen) was hunting down Christians and putting them in jail for preaching the Gospel. But then he had an incredible encounter with the Lord. After that encounter, Saul was actually blinded for three days.

During those three days, God spoke to Ananais, sending him as a “representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews,” to heal Saul and to pray for him to be filled with the Holy Spirit – just as Saul had seen in a dream. It say in Acts 9: “No sooner were the words out of [Ananais] mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes – he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.”

It also says that Saul didn’t waste any time – he was out “preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God.” However, this had everyone terribly confused. They’re all thinking, “Wasn’t this the man who was just persecuting those who preached the same thing?” Some Jews plotted to kill him.

He escaped and went to Jerusalem where he tried to join up with Jesus’ disciples, but they didn’t trust him. But Barnabus took him under his wing, and eventually the apostles accepted him, and things were smooth sailing for a while. He & Barnabus went all over preaching the Gospel and healing the sick. This is when Luke (the writer of Acts) starts to call Saul by his new name, Paul.

Fast-forward years later – after Paul parted ways with Barnabus and did more ministry with Silas & Timothy to many nations - Paul returned to Jerusalem. While worshipping quietly in the Temple one day, some Jews spotted him, and these particular Jews wanted him dead. They started yelling and screaming at Paul, and before long an angry mob gathers. A Roman captain came and put Paul under arrest.

When the captain realized that Paul spoke Greek, at Paul’s request, he let him speak to the crowd. He spoke to them in Hebrew, sharing his personal testimony. Still the crowd was not satisfied and shouted, “Kill him!” He was taken to the barracks. They were going to question and torture him until they found out he was a Roman citizen, and was due a fair trial.

Now fast-forward several trials later - still imprisoned - when Paul is put on a boat headed for Italy. Paul is to be put on trial in Rome, judged by Caesar himself.
Along the way to Italy they ran into bad weather and found it impossible to stay on course. They docked in Crete, at a harbor not greatly suited for staying the whole winter. Paul warned them that they should not continue, but the centurion ignored Paul’s warning and they tried to make it to the next harbor. Acts 27 tells us:

“They were no sooner out to sea than a gale-force wind, the infamous nor’easter, struck. They lost control of the ship.”

The next day, badly damaged by the storm, they tried dumping cargo overboard; then the next day tackle and provisions. Verse 20 says…

“Wind and waves were battering us unmercifully, and we lost all hope of rescue.”

Ever been there? Lost all hope? I’m sure we can all relate in some way to feeling battered by the storms, with no sign of rescue in sight. Paul steps up at this point and shares plainly:

“Friends, you really should have listened to me back in Crete. We could have avoided all this trial and trouble. But there’s no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there’ll not be a single drowning among us; although I can’t say as much for the ship – the ship itself is doomed.”

“Last night God’s angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, saying to me, ‘Don’t give up, Paul. You’re going to stand before Caesar yet – and everyone sailing with you is going to make it.’ So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what He told me. But we’re going to shipwreck on some island or another.”

Bad day for sure!

On the fourteenth - yes fourteenth(!) - day of fighting the storm adrift in the Adriatic Sea they noticed a bay and beach in the distance. They tried to run the ship up on the shore. Still far from land they hit a reef and the ship began to break up. All 276 of them on board swam for it. Amazingly, they all made it to shore safely.

Once ashore, they found out they were on the island of Malta. The natives were friendly and helped them begin to build a bonfire so they could dry and warm themselves. In the next chapter of Acts it goes on to say:

“Paul pitched in and helped [build the fire.] He gathered a bundle of sticks, but when he put it on the fire, a venomous snake, roused from its torpor by the heat, struck his hand and held on. Seeing the snake hanging from Paul’s hand like that, the natives jumped to the conclusion that he was a murderer getting his just deserts. Paul shook the snake off into the fire…”

Now I don’t know about you, but this is the point where I would have looked at the sky and said to God, “Really? I survive all this, all these years, and come this far, only to get bitten by a poisonous snake and die here on Malta?” It would have certainly seemed like a bad done gone worse than possibly imagined.

But you know what? Paul didn’t freak out, and he didn’t drop dead either. He actually survived. And he did more than survive. Because they all expected him to drop dead on the spot, the fact that He lived provided an opportunity for Paul to tell them about His saving God. Paul’s life story was a testimony of the power of God to the people of Malta. They ministered there for three months, healing the sick and telling them about Jesus.

We may have days – weeks – months – even YEARS when we might feel like things couldn’t go worse for us. Persecution, hunger, imprisonment, sickness, divorce, death of a loved one, put on trial, loss of a job, debt collectors, unending house repairs, broken-down cars, depression, loneliness, hopelessness…but God is bigger than all that and can amazingly use what the enemy intends to be the “end” of us to actual become an incredible testimony of His unending love, His faithfulness, His grace, His Kingdom come here on earth.

I long to use Paul’s example in my own life. It’s like I can hear what he would say as a fellow struggling Christ-follower, with encouragement to us all…
Invite God’s Kingdom into your life, your every circumstance! Expect Him, cry out for Him, and stand on His promises. Our God does not fail.

No matter what you face today – no matter what I face today – He is God of all, sovereign and powerful, just and true, merciful and holy. God wants to use YOU in His master plan to tell the whole world of His love and forgiveness through His Son Jesus and the blood that He shed for all mankind. He is the God that turns ashes into beauty and mourning into dancing.

Let Him come and do that in your “bad day” today!