INTRO.- ILL.- A little boy named Alexander had a bad day one time. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. His bad day started as soon as he woke up one morning. Alexander said, “I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I COULD TELL IT WAS GOING TO BE A TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY.”
And after Alexander had a terrible day at school, a horrible visit with the dentist, and a no-good stop at the shoe store, he slumps in his chair at the supper table. HIS TROUBLES CONTINUE.
And Alexander continues his story, “There was lima beans for dinner and I hate lima beans. There was kissing on TV and I hate kissing. My bath water was too hot, I got soap in my eyes, my marble went down the drain, and I had to wear my railroad-train pajamas to bed. I hate my railroad-train pajamas. When I went to bed Nick took back the pillow he said I could keep.”
“And the Mickey Mouse night light burned out and I bit my tongue. The cat wants to sleep with Anthony, not with me. IT HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY!”
Brothers and sisters, all of us experience some terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days!
ILL.- Gen. 37:2 “Joseph, a young man of 17, was tending the flocks with his brothers...” Young, handsome, robust, everything going for him. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? But there’s more to his story.
Gen. 37:4 “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, THEY HATED HIM AND COULD NOT SPEAK A KIND WORD TO HIM.” And Joseph was about to have a “very bad day.”
Gen. 37:17-18 “Joseph went after his brothers (or went to look for his brothers) and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the distance and before he reached them, THEY PLOTTED TO KILL HIM.”
Their anger turned to hatred and their hatred turned to plot murder. YOU NEED TO GET RID OF ANGER IN YOUR HEART BEFORE IT DESTROYS YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE!
Joseph’s brothers said, “Here comes that dreamer! Come now let’s kill him and throw him into one of those cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”
Brethren, from then on everything seemed to go downhill for Joseph. They stripped him of his robe and threw him into a cistern. THEN THEY SOLD HIM INTO SLAVERY. THAT WAS NOT A GOOD DAY FOR JOSEPH!
Sometime later Joseph experienced more bad days in Egypt. Mrs. Potipher lied about him.
Gen. 39:17-18 She said to her master (who was her husband), “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.” LIAR! LIAR! PANTS ON FIRE! She was the one who tried to seduce Joseph! DEVIL WOMAN!
She said, “As soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
Gen. 39:19-20 reads, “When the master heard the story his wife told him saying, ‘This is how your slave treated me, HE BURNED WITH ANGER. AND JOSEPH’S MASTER TOOK HIM AND PUT HIM IN PRISON...” That was not a good day for Joseph!
But, thank God, things didn’t stay that way for Joseph! Because of his faith in the Lord and his obedience, the Lord turned things around him and he began to experience many “good days.”
I believe that only in the Lord can we experience many “good days.” The Lord is the only answer to a better life on earth and an excellent life in heaven.
PROP.- Psalm 34:10-16 gives us the divine prescription for having good days the rest of our lives. Let’s look at this prescription and swallow it completely.
How to have good days?
1- Control your tongue
2- Turn from evil and do good
3- Seek peace and pursue it
4- Put your trust in the Lord.
I. CONTROL YOUR TONGUE
V. 13 “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.”
ILL.- A woman from London once went to a preacher and told him that the bands which he wore around his pulpit gown were too long and that they annoyed her greatly. She asked permission to shorten them. And confident that he would agree, she came armed with a pair of scissors.
The minister agreed and handed over the offending bands to the woman. She shortened them according to her taste and then handed them back to the minister. He thanked her and said, “Now, my good woman, there is something about you that is altogether too long, which has annoyed me greatly, and since one good turn deserves another, I would like permission to shorten it.”
“Certainly,” said the woman, “You have my permission to do so and here are the scissors.”
The minister then said, “VERY WELL, MADAM, STICK OUT YOUR TONGUE!”
Brethren, one of the most difficult things to do in life is to control our tongues or our speaking!
ILL.- Someone said, “Usually the first screw that gets loose in a person’s head is the one that controls the tongue.”
ILL.- Ben Franklin said, “Teach your child to hold his tongue. He’ll learn fast enough to speak.”
ILL.- A young man was sent to Socrates to learn oratory or how to speak. On being introduced to the great philosopher, he talked so much that Socrates asked for double fees. “Why charge me double?” asked the young man.
Socrates replied, “Because I must teach you two sciences: one, how to hold your tongue and the second, how to speak. AND THE FIRST SCIENCE IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT.”
Brothers and sisters, if you want to have a good day, then learn to control your speaking! BECAUSE, I GUARANTEE YOU, IF YOU SAY THE WRONG WORDS, YOU WILL HAVE A BAD DAY!
Prov. 10:19 “When words are many, sin is not absent.”
Prov. 11:12 “A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.”
Prov. 13:3 “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”
Prov. 15:1 “A gentle answer (or speaking) turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
How can we learn to control our speaking?
ILL.- Known to be the worst gossip in the community, a lady went forward to the church altar at the end of the service and said to the preacher, “I’d like to lay my tongue on the altar.”
To which the preacher replied, “I’D LIKE TO HELP YOU, BUT THE ALTAR IS ONLY 15 FEET LONG.”
James 4:7-8 “All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, BUT NO MAN CAN TAME THE TONGUE...”
Did you hear that? No human being can take their own tongue. BUT THERE IS SOMEONE WHO CAN? The Lord is the only one who can control our speaking and we need to let Him.
We all need to pray about our speaking. Sometimes we just need to pray, “Lord, help me to keep my mouth shut.” Or “Lord, help me to speak only words that heal and bless and encourage and help.”
Only as we bathe our problems in prayer, speaking problems or whatever, will we get help from above.
II. TURN FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD
Ps. 34:14 If you want to have a good day, then do good, not evil.
ILL.- In the traffic court of a large city, a young lady was brought before the judge to answer for a ticket given to her for driving through a red light. She explained to the judge that she was a schoolteacher and requested an immediate disposal of her case so she could hurry to her class.
A wild gleam came into the judge’s eye and he said, “You’re a school teacher! Madam, I shall realize my lifelong ambition. I’ve waited for years to have a schoolteacher in this court. I WANT YOU TO SIT DOWN AT THAT TABLE AND WRITE ‘I WENT THROUGH A RED LIGHT’ 500 TIMES!”
That lady was not having a good day, BUT IT WAS HER OWN FAULT!
If we persist in doing evil, in doing wrong things in life, we are not going to have good days!
ILL.- One time while I was ministering in So. IL. I went to a funeral home in Karnack, IL, for a visitation service. After I visited with the family for a period of time I headed back to Anna, which was probably 30 miles away. It was evening and I was in a hurry. I was driving along Shawnee College road, which had a 55 mph speed limit, but I was doing 70, I think.
Suddenly I met a highway patrolman coming from the other direction. I looked in my rearview mirror and sure enough, he had flipped his lights on and started turning around. So I immediately pulled over to the side of the road and got out of my car.
When he got out of his car, he said, “Let me see your license and insurance card,” which I promptly got for him. And then I proceeded to open my mouth..... I told him where I’d been and where I was going and that I was just in a hurry.
And he said, “Well, it’s a nice evening and I’m in a good mood. I’m just going to give you a warning ticket, but you had better keep your speed down.” I thanked him and said, “Yes, Sir.”
Brethren, that’s a story of grace! He was gracious to me even though he didn’t have to be. BUT MOST OF THE TIME, IT DOESN’T WORK THAT WAY IN LIFE!
ILL.- When Horatio Bottomley was serving a prison sentence for embezzlement, one of his old friends visited him in prison, and saw him sewing mail bags as a part of his sentence.
He said, “What? Bottomley sewing?”
He replied, “NO, BOTTOMLEY REAPING!”
Horatio Bottomley was reaping what he had sown in life! He was paying for his life of crime. NOT A GOOD DAY!
Gal. 6:7 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
Brethren, it’s as simple as that. If you want to reap good in your life then you must sow good! If you want to have good days then you must do good and not evil!
NOW HERE’S THE HARD PART: I realize that we don’t always do good or do the right thing even when we know we should. That’s the struggle that we all have with the old man of sin in life.
How can we turn from evil and do good? The Lord is the only answer. HE IS ONLY ONE WHO CAN GIVE US VICTORY OVER SIN OR OVER THE SINFUL FLESH!
Rom. 7:24-25 “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Christ is our only hope and help for turning from evil and doing good! He is the one who can turn our lives around! He can give us the strength to turn from evil and do good!
III. SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT
Ps. 34:14
ILL.- Teacher: Billy, what did you do when Eddie called you a liar?
Billy: I remembered what you told me. “A soft answer turns away anger.”
Teacher: Very good, Billy. What soft answer did you give him?
Billy: I ANSWERED HIM WITH A SOFT TOMATO!
Brethren, some people just can’t leave anything alone. Some people are always on the defensive, ready to snap back at anyone for anything they don’t like!
I’ve heard it said that it’s not how we act in life that shows how much of a Christian we are. It’s how we “react” in a situation that really tells the story about our Christianity. Many Christians act good generally, but if you put them in a bad situation they “react” badly.
ILL.- Suppose you’re driving down the interstate and you’re in the passing lane, about the pass a semi. As you get near the semi, suddenly some car in the other lane weaves right in front of you in order to get around that semi before you do. HOW DO YOU REACT IN THAT SITUATION? Scream? Holler? Cuss ‘em? Flip ‘em off?
Brothers and sisters, we to seek peace and pursue it. We are to be peacemakers, not troublemakers!
ILL.- When I was a senior in high school there was a big farm boy named Clarence Ward who was a junior. For some reason, Clarence made a statement that he could whip any senior in school and then issued a challenge to take on any and all of them.
One day at lunchtime, a big bunch of students were at the corner drug store eating lunch and that farm boy challenged one of our big football players to a fight.
The football player figured Clarence would be a “pushover,” but he found out differently. Clarence wasn’t afraid of anybody. He stripped down to his tea shirt even though it was wintertime and started slugging that football player. They were going at it, toe-to-toe.
Pretty soon Clarence came with a strong uppercut and smacked him right in the nose and blood came gushing out all over the place! IT WAS REALLY NEAT! And that fight was over. Clarence had won.
That fight really made everybody afraid of Clarence, that is, until one day in gym class. We were playing what we called “Hog Ball.” The boys’ gym class was divided into two teams, facing each other on either side of the basketball court. 3 or 4 volleyballs were placed in the center of the court. The teacher blew his whistle and we all ran for those balls.
We all happened to look and there was Clarence standing face-to-face with Darrell Jarnigan. Darrell was a quiet sort of guy, didn’t know much about him, but we learned in a hurry.
Clarence stuck his fist in Darrell’s face and Darrell hauled off and knocked him flat on his back! It was the greatest sight I’d ever seen at that time. AND EVERYBODY CHEERED FOR DARRELL!
The moral of the story is this: IF YOU GO LOOKING FOR A FIGHT, YOU’LL FIND IT! And you just might get the wrong end of the stick or bad end of the deal! And whatever you dish out is what you are going to receive!
We are not to be troublemakers, but peacemakers!
Heb. 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers....”
If you will make every effort to be at peace with others and try to bring others together into a peaceful union, YOU WILL BRING IT INTO YOUR OWN LIFE! You reap what you sow.
IV. PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD
Ps. 34:15 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry.”
This is the idea that you should trust the Lord because He’s watching over you!
ILL.- A little 7-year-old girl was afraid of the dark. One night her mother asked her to get the broom from the back porch where it was real dark.
She said, “Mama, I can’t get the broom because I’m afraid of the dark.”
Her mother said, “Honey, Jesus is out there, so there’s nothing to be afraid of. Don’t you know that Jesus is everywhere? He’ll protect you.”
The little girl said, “Mama, are you sure Jesus is out there?” Mama said, “Why, of course, I’m sure.”
The little girl opened the door just a little and said, “JESUS, WOULD YOU PLEASE HAND ME THE BROOM?”
Brothers and sisters, I do believe that the Lord is with us everywhere. He is everywhere present! AND HE IS ESPECIALLY PRESENT WITH HIS FOLLOWERS, HIS BELIEVERS!
“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry.”
ILL.- Preacher Dwight L. Moody once said, “Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment. Trust in money and you may have it taken from you. Trust in your reputation and some slanderous tongue may blast it. BUT TRUST IN GOD AND YOU ARE NEVER TO BE CONFOUNDED IN TIME OR ETERNITY.”
I do believe that the one person we can trust the most is the Lord!
There have been times when all of us have probably put our trust in some person, only to find they let us down! Or maybe we have been the person who let others down!
Brothers and sisters, WE MUST TRUST ONE ANOTHER! We are brothers and sisters in Christ! We are family!
But listen: Our greatest trust must be in the Lord! Even though people may fail us or forsake us at times, the Lord won’t!
ILL.- The passengers on a certain train were uneasy as they sped along through a dark, stormy night. The lightning was flashing and the thunder was frightening. The fear and tension among the passengers was obvious.
One little boy, however, sitting all by himself seemed to be totally unaware of the storm around him. One of the passengers spoke to him. “Sonny, I see you are alone on this train in the midst of this storm. Aren’t you afraid to travel all alone on such a stormy night?”
The little boy looked up with a smile and said, “NO SIR. I AIN’T AFRAID. MY DADDY’S THE ENGINEER.”
When your daddy’s the engineer, running the show, you don’t have to worry.
If you want to have good days, put your trust in your heavenly Daddy. Lean on Him! Converse with Him constantly!
CONCLUSION--------------------------
Are you having more bad days than good ones?
If so:
1- Learn to control your tongue
2- Turn from doing wrong. Do what is right in all situations.
3- Seek to be at peace with everyone at home and at work.
4- PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD. Surrender to Him. Do what you know He wants you to do...... AND YOU WILL BEGIN TO HAVE GOOD DAYS!
