“I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1, ESV)
Karen’s world was shaken. She lost her job and her apartment in the same week two months ago. Everything seemed to be going wrong. As she thought about going to church this Easter week, she realized that she had no money to put in the collection plate. Not having even a dollar to spare, she considered not going to worship. Then, she decided that she was going to praise God no matter what her situation. As the sun began to rise on that bright Easter Sunday morning, Karen dressed in her favorite outfit. Just before leaving for church, Karen felt something crinkly in her purse pocket. Reaching into the pocket, she pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. Only then did she realize that she had forgotten it was there. She said a quick prayer of thanks to God, and off she went to enjoy Resurrection Day!
Rick prayed over and over for his best friend, Jerry, who had a severe reaction following an exposure to the Covid-19 virus. Jerry was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where they found his blood oxygen level to be 79. Not one day went by that Rick didn’t pray for his friend. After a week of difficulty breathing, Jerry began to recover. The family notified Rick immediately. Excited at the hearing the news, Rick stopped what he was doing and said a quick prayer praising God and giving thanks for Jerry’s well-being.
Sitting in the church pew, Teesha watched her pastor stand and then walk to the lectern. Pausing, the pastor announced, “This past week, I received a call. A generous donor has decided to support our building fund with a large donation. Within a month, construction will commence on the new addition to our church!” Upon hearing the news, Teesha smiled. She knew her husband was going to be on the crew working at the church. Previously, his construction company was considering layoffs. Now, they would have months of work at the church. Breathing deeply, Teesha closed her eyes and said a silent but thankful word of praise to Almighty God.
Each of these three Christians was filled with praise at the blessings that came their way. Their hearts overflowed with joy at the blessings they received. Each took a moment out of their day to immediately praise God.
While it is beneficial and wonderful to praise God for the blessings one receives in life, it is just as important to praise God when things don’t go your way. God deserves more than to be praised only when things go right! What about praising God when things go wrong? Will you praise God even when things look bleak, times are tough, or your situation is dire? When do you praise God?
“Scottish preacher George Matheson realized that he was not as ready to praise God when things went wrong as he was when they went right. However, after he began to lose his eyesight, he changed his thinking. He struggled for some months with this weary burden until he reached the point where he could pray, “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorn. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the value of my thorn.”
When we count our blessings, we should include the weaknesses, the hardships, the burdens, and the trials we face. If we do, we might find that God has used our difficulties more than the “good” things to help us grow spiritually. Why is that? Because it is in those difficult places that we discover the sufficiency of His grace. In our trials, we turn to God. As we depend on Him, we find that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Take a moment and think about the way God has led you. When you praise God for your blessings, do you remember to thank Him for the thorns?” (P.R.V., “Our Daily Bread”, Thursday, April 14, 1999).
In Psalm 34:1, David wrote that he was determined to “praise God at all times”. David did not believe in praising God only when things went right. He wanted to praise God “continually”. When tidings were good, he wanted to praise God. When everything went wrong, he endeavored to continue to praise God. No matter what befell him, David deemed every moment “praise-worthy”. God deserves to be extolled on every occasion.
Many Christians fail to heed David’s words. Those who call themselves children of God often forget to praise Jesus in dark times or when things aren’t going well. They reserve their praise for happy days or blessed times. To do so is to cheapen the love of God. Is it only during good times that praise should come from your lips?
In the Christian hymn, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, four verses laud the work of God. The hymn encourages Christians to praise God “for health and salvation”, for “sheltering you under HIS wings”, and for “prospering your work and defending you”. This hymn of praise ends with the lyrics, “Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore HIM! All that has life and breath, come now with praises before HIM. Let the “AMEN!” sound from HIS people again. Gladly, forever adore HIM!”
May God’s praises forever come from your lips. In good days and bad, moments of blessing and moments of pain, let your praise of God never cease. God watches out for you all the moments of your life. God hears your prayers. God showers you with love. God’s Spirit is a continual companion. Can’t you find something to praise God for in this very moment? If not, you aren’t looking hard enough!
Rick prayed over and over for his best friend, Jerry, who had a severe reaction following an exposure to the Covid-19 virus. Jerry was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where they found his blood oxygen level to be 79. Not one day went by that Rick didn’t pray for his friend. After a week of difficulty breathing, Jerry began to recover. The family notified Rick immediately. Excited at the hearing the news, Rick stopped what he was doing and said a quick prayer praising God and giving thanks for Jerry’s well-being.
Sitting in the church pew, Teesha watched her pastor stand and then walk to the lectern. Pausing, the pastor announced, “This past week, I received a call. A generous donor has decided to support our building fund with a large donation. Within a month, construction will commence on the new addition to our church!” Upon hearing the news, Teesha smiled. She knew her husband was going to be on the crew working at the church. Previously, his construction company was considering layoffs. Now, they would have months of work at the church. Breathing deeply, Teesha closed her eyes and said a silent but thankful word of praise to Almighty God.
Each of these three Christians was filled with praise at the blessings that came their way. Their hearts overflowed with joy at the blessings they received. Each took a moment out of their day to immediately praise God.
While it is beneficial and wonderful to praise God for the blessings one receives in life, it is just as important to praise God when things don’t go your way. God deserves more than to be praised only when things go right! What about praising God when things go wrong? Will you praise God even when things look bleak, times are tough, or your situation is dire? When do you praise God?
“Scottish preacher George Matheson realized that he was not as ready to praise God when things went wrong as he was when they went right. However, after he began to lose his eyesight, he changed his thinking. He struggled for some months with this weary burden until he reached the point where he could pray, “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorn. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the value of my thorn.”
When we count our blessings, we should include the weaknesses, the hardships, the burdens, and the trials we face. If we do, we might find that God has used our difficulties more than the “good” things to help us grow spiritually. Why is that? Because it is in those difficult places that we discover the sufficiency of His grace. In our trials, we turn to God. As we depend on Him, we find that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Take a moment and think about the way God has led you. When you praise God for your blessings, do you remember to thank Him for the thorns?” (P.R.V., “Our Daily Bread”, Thursday, April 14, 1999).
In Psalm 34:1, David wrote that he was determined to “praise God at all times”. David did not believe in praising God only when things went right. He wanted to praise God “continually”. When tidings were good, he wanted to praise God. When everything went wrong, he endeavored to continue to praise God. No matter what befell him, David deemed every moment “praise-worthy”. God deserves to be extolled on every occasion.
Many Christians fail to heed David’s words. Those who call themselves children of God often forget to praise Jesus in dark times or when things aren’t going well. They reserve their praise for happy days or blessed times. To do so is to cheapen the love of God. Is it only during good times that praise should come from your lips?
In the Christian hymn, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, four verses laud the work of God. The hymn encourages Christians to praise God “for health and salvation”, for “sheltering you under HIS wings”, and for “prospering your work and defending you”. This hymn of praise ends with the lyrics, “Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore HIM! All that has life and breath, come now with praises before HIM. Let the “AMEN!” sound from HIS people again. Gladly, forever adore HIM!”
May God’s praises forever come from your lips. In good days and bad, moments of blessing and moments of pain, let your praise of God never cease. God watches out for you all the moments of your life. God hears your prayers. God showers you with love. God’s Spirit is a continual companion. Can’t you find something to praise God for in this very moment? If not, you aren’t looking hard enough!