Psalm 100:
1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his
gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
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News about the impending doom couldn’t have come at the
worst time. With a second child, it was already difficult enough to make ends
meet and for the first time, this particular company was going to do severe
cuts in order to keep the stock market happy. When I got to work everyone,
including myself was worried. One person said “Praise GOD” and another said “Trust
in the LORD.” How in the world can they say that when the world is on fire?!
- Sometimes I am worried to the point where I cannot see GOD.
- Sometimes I am worried to the point where I cannot hear GOD.
- Sometimes I am worried to the point where I cannot speak GOD.
With my world crashing around me I felt helpless and alone,
even though there were plenty of others going through the same thing. How in
the world could this person say “Praise GOD” at a time like this? They don’t understand
“my” situation, or do they?
- Praising GOD in the face of adversity makes me stronger each day.
- Praising GOD in the middle of the storm gives HIM the strength and takes the load off of me.
- Praising GOD in the brunt of the trial enables me to see, hear and speak about GOD.
What I’ve noticed is GOD says “Take heart for I am with you”
quite often. HE says “Do not be afraid” more and more to me because there will
be scary times in life where it seems like nothing will go “right.” Praising
GOD isn’t an appeal to worship the egotistical figurehead that I sometimes
think HE is. Praising GOD is actually a spiritual weapon that helps me fight
against worry, doubt and fear.
Without praise, I fall into a trap of disbelief. Everyone
around me becomes a problem rather than a solution. GOD wants me to carry the
spirit of gratitude and to speak about HIS ways to everyone. HE wants me to
douse lying spirits and praise HIS holy name.
- Are you worried?
- Do you feel even those who usually pray for you, are against you?
- Do the words “Trust in the LORD” turn your stomach because “these words” seem empty?
- Can you stop and turn to GOD and hear that HE does love you in spite of what you are going through?
- Will you take a moment, even if it is a tiny moment, to praise GOD today?
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