In church we sang "Raise A Hallelujah," by Bethel Music, and the words were like a sermon to me. For anyone "going through a storm" this is great advice! The words are:
"Louder and louder, you're gonna hear my praises roar Up from the ashes, hope will arise Death is defeated, the King is alive!"
I am sure I have shared this numerous times but it bears repeating: if I am struggling with something I say, out loud, "I trust you, God!" Through the years this has brought much comfort. I love the words of the song telling us to sing louder and louder. It is not for God to hear but for us to hear! Let our praises "roar" - that has to turn our feelings from despair to hope! Praise does not have to be sung. It can be any form of thanksgiving from prayer to speaking well of God, confessing faith, etc. If we cannot think of anything else, we can always praise Him for the Cross. He is worthy of praise! Psalm 145: 3, "Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom."
All of us have moments when we are discouraged by life's circumstances. God wants us to be honest with Him about our feelings. He cares for us and He understands our needs and our weaknesses. By praising Him through songs or prayer we can be drawn closer to Him. There are times that this is hard to do but just whispering, "I trust you, God" will do! By doing this we can feel the peace that only He can give. Philippians 4: 7, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Psalm 42: 11, "Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." In despair, the psalmist questions why he is in despair and then tells himself to put his hope in God. He says, "I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." He is determined to praise the Lord. He knows that this will change his focus from himself to God who will bring deliverance and victory.
Praising God in the hard times doesn’t minimize our heavy hearts. It just redirects our focus. We can count on God even when our emotions do not make us feel that way. Psalm 34: 18, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." While the problem doesn't disappear the burden does lessen. We know we are not alone. The Holy Spirit turns a light of hope on in our darkness. Psalm 71: 14, "As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more."
Pour your burdens out to God in prayer. Then praise Him because you have hope in Jesus Christ. It will make everything better! Psalm 34: 1, "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."
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