by James Collins
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
People need the Bible now more than ever. The Bible is the ultimate instruction guide for living. It has in it everything that you’ll need to survive because life gets tougher every day.
Have you had a bad day recently? A while back, I had one of those days. It started out that morning when I cut myself when shaving. I did more than nick myself. I cut a chunk out of my face. Blood was dripping down my chin. I stuck a wad of toilet paper on my face. The bleeding stopped. After a bit, I took the tissue off, and I started bleeding again. So, I went out with a big glob of toilet paper on my face.
As I was getting in my truck to go to work, I hit the top of my forehead on the top of the cab. I saw stars. I thought I was going to pass out. When I got to work, someone came up to me and said, “Man! That is a giant knot on your head!”
I thought that my day would get better because I had a meeting in town at the Chick-fil-A. I love Chick-fil-A. When I arrived at the restaurant, I ordered a BBQ chicken sandwich with waffle fries.
I like to dip my waffle fries in Ranch Dressing. But I couldn’t open the little dressing packet. I was fiddling with the packet of Ranch Dressing trying to get it open when it burst. Ranch Dressing squirted all over me. I grabbed a bunch of napkins and tried to wipe the Ranch Dressing off my shirt.
I picked up my BBQ chicken sandwich and I bit into it. The chicken slipped out of the bun and slid down my shirt. Now, I was covered in BBQ Sauce and Ranch Dressing.
I hurried into the restroom to try to clean up. I reached up under the soap dispenser and pulled the handle. Soap squirted all over me. Liquid soap hit me in the face. Liquid soap spotted up my glasses. Liquid Soap got all over my shirt.
I cleaned up as best as I could and went back out to finish my meal. When I got back to my table, I discovered that one of the workers at the Chick-fil-A had come by and thrown away my food.
Ever the optimist, I tried to look on the bright side. I thought, “Well at least he didn’t throw out my sweet tea.” I reached down to get my sweet tea and I noticed this big glob of Ranch Dressing that I had missed on my shirt. I took my finger and scooped up the glob and I put it in my mouth. Only it wasn’t Ranch Dressing. It was liquid soap.
Now I’m spitting and sputtering. I had a mouthful of soap. I thought, “I’ll wash it down with some sweet iced tea.” When I picked up that tea to take a drink, I felt something wet in my lap. I looked down. There was a hole in the bottom of my Chick-fil-A cup.
By this time, I was frustrated. I was having a bad day. I went up to the counter to demand a new Sweet Tea.
The lady behind the counter looked at me and her eyes got big. I was a sight. There was bloody toilet paper on my chin. I had a giant knot on my forehead. My shirt was stained with BBQ Sauce, Ranch Dressing, and liquid soap. My pants were wet from sweet tea. I looked like I had lost control of my bladder.
The lady behind the counter looked at me and said, “Honey, you’ve had a rough day, haven’t you?” Sarcastically, I said, “Yes, I have. Thank you very much.” She smiled and said, “It’s my pleasure.”
The point is: Sometimes we have bad days in life. However, we have a survival guide for living. We have the Bible to be a lamp unto our feet and a light to guide our path. We have the Bible to lead us.
I have been preaching out of the Bible for years. I’ve preached the Bible in places that were dead, and I’ve seen them come alive. I’ve preached the Bible to people that were hurting, and I’ve seen them healed. I’ve preached the Bible to those who were lost, and I’ve seen them saved.
How often do you read God’s Word? If you and I are not in the Bible daily – if it is not hidden in our hearts – then we will be destroyed by this wicked world. Pick up your Bible. Blow the dust off it. Start reading it. It will make your bad day better.
James Collins is a pastor, writer, and columnist. Find out more about his ministry at www.thepointis.net.