Experiencing Victory through Pain

Experiencing Victory Through Praise It is easy to praise God when the sun is shining, our children are making good grades in school, and we have received a promotion at work. But when the storm clouds gather, the grades start to slip, and the pink slips are read, the last thing we feel like doing is praising God. Yet, this is the very time when we need to lift our voices to Him in praise. When we praise God, we proclaim our faith in Him. The psalmist writes, “As for me, I will always have hope. I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure” (Psalm 71:14-15). A sacrifice of praise is something that we offer to God – in times of well being and in times of sorrow. Never allow praise to become a habit or a trite activity. It is a priceless honor to kneel before the throne of our Lord and Savior. One of the greatest misconceptions concerning praise is that it is something we do for God. However, nothing could be further from the truth. God does not need our praise, but certainly, He desires it. He knows when life takes an unexpected turn toward sorrow or when a serious illness lingers for months and even years, praise has the ability to lighten our hearts and fill us with a sense of love and security that can only come from one place – heaven’s throne. Praise teaches us to be joyful and thankful regardless of our circumstances. It prepares us for God’s service and helps us to see beyond our present circumstances to the immense possibilities that are ours through faith in Jesus Christ. No matter how deep our sorrow or how grave our circumstances may seem, we can learn to praise God while acknowledging His sovereignty over our lives. A.B. Simpson wrote, “Lift up the hands that hang down. March straight through the flood, and lo, the waters will divide, the Red Sea will open, the Jordan will part, and the Lord will lead you through to victory.” This sounds like good advice, but what do you do when life becomes so dark that it seems impossible to praise God? How do you lift your voice to the Lord in praise when your husband has left you or your daughter has terminal cancer? How do you praise God when you the world calls you a failure? You begin by recognizing who God is and how worthy He is of our offering of praise. Praising Him may not immediately lesson our sorrow or change our circumstances, but it will bring light to our darkness and shift our focus onto the One who is good, loving, righteous and sovereign. Dr. Michael Youseff - Leading the Way Ministries