I copied this article years ago and to be honest, I dont know where I got it from. I do know that it was written by David Wilkerson (copied his name as well) and published on August 3, 1998. All credit goes to David.

The Christian life is not a life of clear sailing. Every believer is going to have bad days, no matter how holy he may be. In fact, I believe the more godly a person is, the more trying and excruciating his bad days will be.

Fortunately, most Christians know Jesus isn’t just a “good times only” savior. He’s with us not only when things are going well, but during our bad days also. When hard times hit us, he doesn’t disappear, saying, “I’ll be back when you’ve got it all worked out.” No he’s faithful and caring through every kind of season. And he’s touched by every feeling we endure during our hard times.

The apostle Paul addresses this when he writes, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Imagine it! The treasure Paul refers to is the knowledge and presence of Jesus Christ. And we hold this precious treasure in our bodies!

Yet the Greek word Paul uses for “earthen” is “frail clay” meaning, “weak, easily broken, easily tempted.” He’s saying, “Yes, we hold Jesus’ presence in our very bodies. But our bodies are weak, easily tempted and easily broken!”

The fact is, we all suffer what the Bible calls “infirmities.” For many Christians, a common infirmity of life is a frail constitution or poor health. Paul spoke of Timothy’s frequent illnesses, calling them “often infirmities” (1 Timothy 5:23). The Greek word “infirmity” here means “sickly, without strength, feeble of body or mind.”

Yet there are other kinds of infirmities besides physical ones, and they’re just as difficult to handle. In my opinion, infirmities of the mind are probably the most widespread. I’m not talking about mental illness, but rather those unexplainable times when your feelings betray you and play tricks on your mind. Let me explain.

It’s possible to go to bed feeling contented, on top of the world, and yet wake up the next day with a heavy cloud of gloom hanging over your head. All day long you feel totally bound by your downcast state of mind. You don’t know where it came from but the cloud of gloom just keeps hanging over you, and it won’t go away.

Guilt, fear and anxiety are all infirmities of the mind. Such things might haunt you because of your past, or because of some sin that still clings to your life. And these infirmities cannot but help affect your feelings.

Now, you may say you don’t live by your feelings but in a very real sense you do. For instance, you might not be able to shake off some harsh words someone spoke to you a few days before. Or, you may constantly battle feelings of rejection or unworthiness. Without question, these feelings have a direct effect on the way you live.

For some people, Mothers Day or Fathers Day is one of the hardest days of the year. Perhaps their parents didn’t offer much love, or were alcoholics, or simply weren’t around. Many people can’t remember a good day with their mother or father at all. And so Christmas and Thanksgiving become the most difficult times of the year for them.

Ironically, my bad days come most often while I’m searching God’s word. When I’m alone with the Lord and my Bible, I can be overwhelmed with feelings of ignorance. I sense there’s a whole ocean of truth before me, but I can’t possibly comprehend it because there’s so much of it.

I get even more frustrated when I read the great writings of preachers who lived 300 years ago. I end up crying out, “Oh, Lord I’m like a baby in my understanding compared to these spiritual giants! They lived in a supposedly unenlightened age and yet as young men they wrote about matters I have yet to grasp in my sixties. Why is it so hard for me to get it?”

The only answer I receive is what I hear in Paul’s words: “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). All power rests in God including the power to comprehend truth and maintain a godly life. This great treasure is contained in earthen vessels so that all glory may be to him!

I thank you lord for being there for me in good days and bad. I thank you for the reminder that even in the darkest days, you are walking with me side by side. In Jesus name, Amen. – LB