On Our Worst Days, God Does His Best Work

Joshua Crawford

If you’ve ever had a bad day, someone may have mentioned the concept of Murphy’s Law, which states, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”  Others may blame it on waking up on the wrong side of bed or Friday the 13th.  The world would have us believe these days are completely random or controlled by some dark force, but as Christians, we know even our worst days are controlled by a sovereign God.

From the human perspective, the title of Worst Day Ever, has to belong to Jesus, the day he was crucified.  Consider from Luke’s account, the day started by being betrayed by Judas, one of his closest friends.  (22:47)  Then Jesus watched as an even closer friend, Peter, denied him three times.  (22:54-62)  From there, Jesus is mocked and beaten by the men holding him.  (22:63-65)  He then endures accusations of blasphemy from the priests and the scribes, who should know better.  (22:66-71)  After this, Jesus is questioned by political leaders like Pilate and Herod – all while being mocked and accused further.  Jesus is insulted even greater when his own people choose to set free a murderer, Barabbas, instead of him. (23:18-25)

Mark 15:15 adds that Jesus is then scourged and sent to be crucified, and referring back to Luke, Jesus is asked to carry his own cross, while people cry and scream behind him. (23:26-27)  Jesus is ultimately crucified between two criminals and his executioners divide his garments. (23:33-34)  Last and worst of all, Mark 15:34 tells us that Jesus is forsaken, in that moment, by his Father.  From our perspective, this day of physical, emotional, and spiritual torment sounds like the worst day in history, but from God’s perspective, it was the greatest act of love ever displayed – it was the most wonderful day.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Reading what God did through the death of His Son and through countless other bad days in the Bible, we can discredit ideas like Murphy’s Law and other superstitions and easily agree with Nahum 1:3, “The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm,” or the Psalmist that said, “Whatever the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.” (Psalm 135:6)  If God can take the darkest day in human history, the day of Christ’s crucifixion, and use it to redeem the life of every sinner, surely He can use our hard day at work, our family problems, or our financial struggles to benefit us.