Whenever we receive a blessing, it is automatic for most of us to
thank and praise God for it. We pray, take to social media, and tell
friends about the wonderful answered prayer we have just received. But
when we are in the midst of a difficult time, our prayers are usually
centered on pleading for God’s help, and are devoid of praises for who
our Lord is.
And while it is not entirely wrong to focus on seeking God’s aid as it
shows our dependence on Him, praising Him as we go through life’s
challenges is something we should consider.
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I
praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can
mere man do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4
When we choose to praise the Lord even if we have yet to receive the
rescue we are asking from Him, we choose to see His goodness and
power. We choose to believe in His sovereign grace, and the wisdom to
help us through our situation. In essence we put Him where He should
be, at the front and center of our lives regardless of our
circumstances.
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock
be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I
will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he
makes me tread on my high places.” Habbakuk 3:17–19
There are biblical characters whom we can take the cue from in
praising God during difficult times. Job, for one, who lost all his
children. his livelihood, and even good health in a snap of a finger,
still chose to praise God in the middle of his tragedy.
“And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I
return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the
name of the Lord.” Job 1:21
Jesus’ own mother, the virgin Mary, still chose to praise the Lord
even if she did not fully understand everything that would happen to
her. If present-day people like us received the same information Mary
received, we would have scrambled to take control of everything, and
try to know as much as we can about the situation and what will happen
in the future. But the Virgin Mary chose to pray, praise, and trust
the will of the Lord at the face of uncertainties.
“And Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has
rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His
maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me
blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy
is His name.” Luke 1:46-49
In the New Testament, The Apostle Paul and Silas, chose to sing
praises to the Lord even as they were shackled and imprisoned for
spreading the gospel.
“But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of
praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly
there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison
house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and
everyone’s chains were unfastened.” Acts 16:25-26
And so what are we to do, when we are facing trials, or even when we
are just plainly hit by the holiday blues? How do we choose to praise
God during these times?
Maybe we can follow King David’s example. David, who was described as
a man after God’s own heart, also chose to praise God in the midst of
his troubles and grief. In one of the Psalms attributed to him, he
poured out his grieving heart, praised God and hushed his trembling
soul as he awaited help from the Lord.
“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within
me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my
God.” Psalm 42:11
As followers of Jesus, we can hold on to God’s promises for us, and
wait on Him. The Apostle Paul tells us we should choose to rejoice
amidst difficulties, thank the Lord for His blessings, and pour our
hearts in prayer. This way, we can at least alleviate our
discouragement due to our plight, and worship the one true God, who is
in control of everything.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your
reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be
anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Every person faces a different set of challenges, but all of us can
hold on to our hope in Jesus Christ. And in this Christmas season,
more than ever, our Savior assures us that He will never leave us
alone, He will provide us counsel, help, love, and peace, if we would
only welcome Him in our hearts.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government
shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah
9:6
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to
ponder on Philippians 4:4-9 and Luke 1:46-55 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: When discouraged do you endeavor to pray or pray
and praise?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for being my
one true help amidst all the inevitable difficulties and dips in my
life. Please grant me the grace to continue waiting on you, and not
get too discouraged about my situation. Remind me of the many times
you have helped me, and give me the confidence to hold on to these
testimonies even tighter as I continue to praise and worship you.
Amen.
