When Praise is hard
This morning, during our online worship, our Pastor read Psalm 113. Please check out the first three verses of this psalm below.
Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, you his servants; praise the name of the LORD. Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. Psalm 113:1-3
Well…that scriptural message is REALLY clear, isn’t it?
Praise the LORD!
But, what happens when we don’t feel like praising?
- We are furloughed from our job.
- We can’t pay our bills this month.
- We have a chronic illness
- Our car breaks down–again.
- We have a terrible argument with our spouse or children.
- Our loved one dies.
Are you like me? Do you sometimes just want to weep instead of praising? Does life get so hard that you cry out to God–not in praise, but in frustration, hurt, or sorrow?
Why LORD, do you stand so far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 10:1
One of the stages of grief is anger. This can take the form of anger at the circumstances in which we find ourselves without our loved one, anger at those we feel may have contributed to the cause of death, anger at ourselves at something we did or didn’t do, or even anger at our departed loved one.
Don’t we sometimes get angry at God?
Or, we may feel as if God has deserted us
Why did this happen, Father? There may circumstances when we question why God “allowed” this to happen to us or a loved one.
Sometimes we may forget that God is with us through the hard times as well as the good ones.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
In the Book of 2nd Samuel, we are told the story of David committing adultery with Bathsheba. She becomes pregnant. David arranges to have her husband killed in battle so that he can marry Bathsheba. When the prophet, Nathan, confronts him about his sin David says, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Scripture tells us what happened next:
After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth. On the seventh day the child died. David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead, “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” 2 Samuel 12:15-16, 18a-19
Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went to the house of the LORD and worshiped. 2 Samuel 12:20a
He went into the house of the LORD and worshiped.
I’m not going to discuss David’s sin. Nor am I going to focus on the scripture’s assertion (2 Samuel 12:11) that God brought calamity on David’s household as a result of David’s sin and that his punishment would be death of his son (2 Samuel 12:14).
What I want to point out is that David recognized his sin, prayed to God, accepted the consequences of his actions, and worshiped (praised) the LORD.
Even in his grief, David worshiped and praised. He recognized that there is no one like our God.
Our God IS God!
The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people. He settles the childless woman in her home and a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD. Psalm 113:4-9
In our time of fear, frustration, worry, anxiety, and grief, God is with us.
Praise the LORD!
Is there a time you have praised the LORD, even during pain, frustration, hardship, or sorrow?
Praying for you, my friends.
And the third chapter of Habakkuk. Rejoice anyway. It is hard to remember that God is good, all the time. But good He is. Wonderful encouragement here.
Nancy, thank you for reminding me of this inspiring message in Habakkuk. The prophet chronicles all the hardships his people are experiencing yet he says, “yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in my God and Savior. The sovereign LORD is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” (Hab 3:18-19) Such reassurance when we are in despair. Wishing you a blessed day.
A long time ago there was a song by Russ Taff that ministered to me during a difficult couple of years.
“Praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you, that they drop powerless behind you When you praise Him.”
Second only to prayer, praise is a powerful tool!
What a beautiful phrase, Sherry. Thank you for sharing those lyrics that provide such a hopeful word picture and the assurance of God’s faithfulness and protection.
As much as it should, sometimes Romans 8:28 brings anger, pain, and confusion instead of the wonderful relief Paul’s words were meant to deliver. We cannot understand God’s ways and the reasons He does, or allows, the things that He does. I loved how you pointed out, “Our God IS God!” While we don’t always understand, like David, we must find a way to praise Him for all He has blessed our lives with. What if I had never been adopted by loving, Christian people? What if God had not moved me to the other end of the country to have met my spouse? When we can’t understand God’s purpose for something in the moment, we can remember (as you said) that “God IS God”; and deserving of our praise. Even when it’s hard. Thank you so much dear friend for showing me what the courage to praise through adversity looks like. One of my blessings this day is you.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28. As you remind us, J.D., sometimes it’s hard to recognize trials, pain, and tragedy as God working for our good. But, as I keep telling myself through this trial, God has a plan for me and as God, His plan is far above and beyond anything I can even imagine. It hurts right now, but there will be joy in the morning! Thank you for being one of God’s angels, to give me the hand and words that help lift me up from despair. You are a blessing.
As always, Katherine, your Scripture-infused post points us to God who is worthy of our praise. Thank you.
Thank you, Jeannie. I pray that we can continue to PRAISE our LORD during these troubled times. We can make a difference by spreading the love of Jesus to those that are hurting and struggling.
Beautiful post. It is sometimes hard to praise God. But it helps me to go ahead and begin to praise Him, when I remember that He inhabits the praise of His people. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Evelyn. That is an important reminder–to go ahead and praise God, no matter the circumstances. If we complete the action of praise, God will change our hearts so that we really mean it, even when we are suffering. Thank you for your encouragement.
It is hard to praise God when I’m weary and beaten-down. But playing praise music in the background of whatever I’m doing always leads me to a place of praise.
I agree, Candyce. Listening to and singing praise music lifts me out of the doldrums, too. Thank you for reminding us of the joy of singing praise to our Lord.
The power of prayer is incomprehensible. Yet we expect miracles of our wants, not His. Great article about scriptural prayer and David is an excellent example.
Thank you, Monty, for visiting my blog and for your encouragement. You’ve reminded us of something that we (especially this girl) tend to forget, our wants aren’t always part of God’s plan, but His plan is far better than we can imagine.
Life is hard, but God is oh so good. This year has been especially tough for me, but I, at times, have chosen to be like Paul and Silas and in my pain praise God. The group Selah sings the song “I Bless Your Name.” In that song there’s part of a verse that says, “Some midnight hour if you should find you’re in a prison of your mind, reach out and praise…” Sometimes it is darkest just before the dawn but praising Him draws us closer to His heart. Thanks for sharing such an encouraging post.
Thank you for your comforting words, Norma. I haven’t heard this song, but I know that we are sometimes imprisoned by our thoughts, but we are so blessed that Jesus came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18-21). Wishing you blessings and peace.