Psalm 146
Praising God is like an adventure in our lives.
Why do I say so? Because in our lives, we meet with various circumstances that may make us happy, sad, afraid, worried, disappointed and even depressed; actually the list can go on.
But if we know how to praise God in every circumstance, He can add upon our happiness with inexpressible joy; and lifting us up in times of distress.
This is an adventure worth taking everyday of our lives as children of God.
Praising God in times of happiness is not difficult; we can easily fill our hearts with thanks and praises to God rather instantly and naturally.
But what about in times of trouble and distress, can we be calm enough to realize our need to praise God?
Especially in times of difficulties, depending on our level of faith, our praises to God may gradually subside. This is natural, but we must be quick remember in whom we have believed and in whom we have entrusted our lives to.
If we look at the religions or the so-called gods in the world, which god actually proclaims himself as the creator of all things like how our Lord God proclaimed?
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer,
And He who formed you from the womb:
“I am the Lord, who makes all things,
Who stretches out the heavens all alone,
Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.
Isaiah 44:24
Which god has ever said to us,
“See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.” ?
Isaiah 49:16
And which god has ever assured us,
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ?
Matthew 11:28
The many other gods that the world worships were created out of man’s imaginations. Some were once humans but were being venerated to be worshipped as gods by their admirers. So these so gods can neither do good nor bad since they are not even alive!
But for us, we worship and place our trust in the Creator God who is eternally alive, loving and almighty. If He doesn’t deserve our praises, who does? Indeed none but our Lord God, Jesus Christ alone.
Therefore in times of distress, we must all the more stay calm and continue to praise the Lord for the testing times that He is putting us through, for whomever He loves, He chastises. (ref. Hebrews 12:6)
He is always mindful of our every need, and He definitely knows how to deliver us from our weaknesses while we are facing trials.
When we praise Him in times of distress, our difficulties may not depart from us immediately, but we can be assured that God is in control of the situation we are in.
So as we praise Him more, our faith increases; for through our praises, we are also being reminded of His wonderful attributes.
Let us spiritually nurture ourselves through praising our God ceaselessly, so that in times of distress and need, we can still praise Him instantly and naturally.
May God continue to give us wisdom and to strengthen us in our daily dealings through praises.
Shalom