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Praise
the Lord Anyway!
By
Dianne Barker
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”
(Psalm 150:6).
Everything that has breath includes me. There are no exclusion
clauses such as: praise the Lord when He gives a favorable answer to my
prayers, or praise the Lord when I feel
like praising.
What if God doesn’t do what I ask? My choices: pout or praise.
Pouting leads to misery. Praise leads to joy.
I’ve learned that when I surrender my circumstance to the Lord,
trust him for the outcome, and praise him by faith, He produces joy—part of the
luscious fruit of the Spirit overflowing our lives, along with love, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control
(Galatians 5:22-23). These qualities make a difference in my daily walk—my
home, my work, my relationships.
Recently I read through the Psalms, listing every mention of good
things the Lord has done. It’s a very long list. In Psalm 103 David gives five
actions of God worthy of praise: He pardons all our iniquities, heals all our
diseases, redeems our life from the pit, crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion,
and satisfies our desires with good things so that our youth is renewed like
the eagle. For this, I can praise the Lord for the rest of my life!
We praise the Lord because He’s worthy, and we praise Him by a
decision of our will. David faced difficult circumstances, but he made up his
mind to praise the Lord anyway. He wrote Psalm 57 in a desperate place—a cave, hiding
from King Saul. Yet he declared, “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is
steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises” (verse 7).
If I praise the Lord today, I praise Him in my present
circumstances. If I wait until tomorrow—or a distant time when things change—I
may never offer praise. I choose to praise
Him today…in these circumstances.
Seeing God’s purpose in our hard place inspires us to choose praise.
But many times we don’t have a clue what He’s doing. The Lord gave me a verse
that satisfies me when life doesn’t make sense. “For you have need of endurance,
so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised”
(Hebrews 10:36).
I can know God has a
purpose in everything He allows. If nothing else, He’s developing endurance. I praise
Him by decision.
Feeling afraid? Lord, I praise
you because you’re all-powerful. There’s nothing to fear.
Feeling worried? Lord, I
praise you because you’re sovereign. Not one sparrow falls the ground without
your knowledge. I will trust you.
Feeling frail? Lord, I praise
you because you’re my strength—and you won’t be stronger tomorrow.
Praise the Lord because He’s worthy. Praise the Lord by decision. Let
everything that has breath praise the Lord!
(Scripture references are from NASB.)
About the Author:
Dianne Barker is the author of ten books, including the national Christian
bestseller Twice Pardoned (Focus on the Family). Her latest book is Cabbages
and Kings—Reflections on Living Abundantly in Christ (CrossBooks). She
is a freelance journalist and host of a weekly program on the Christian radio
station WHCB-FM, Bristol, Tennessee. She speaks for women’s events, teaching
with passion about marriage, parenting, relationships, and abundant living. She
is a member of Christian Authors Network and Advanced Writers and Speakers
Association. She and her husband live in Johnson City, Tennessee. To learn
more, visit www.diannebarker.com.
Cabbages and Kings—Reflections on
Living Abundantly in Christ is a collection of devotional-style
articles written in a light tone about diverse topics including faith, joy,
anger, fear, discouragement, negative thinking, self esteem, hope, and
perseverance. The author calls it a handbook for making our Christianity work.
She suggests attitudes and habits essential for living in joy, such as moving past
failure and learning how to put love and forgiveness into practice.
Purchase sites:
Links:
Website: www.diannebarker.com
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com
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