Facing Hardship while Praising God

Facing hardship and opposition to our faith is difficult. It is especially hard when we face enormous trials like so many of us have here of late.

While driving to work yesterday morning I was pondering the circumstances and difficulties we are facing in our church. I found myself lost in thought and given to prayer. I had the radio on tuned into the local Christian radio station, 90.1 "The Bridge", but I wasn't paying attention and used it for white noise if anything. But while I was thinking about our current troubles the song "Praise You in this Storm" by Casting Crowns came on. I had heard this song a thousand times before, but God was using it this time to speak to me about how we are to praise Him even in the midst of our problems.

Tonight, I looked up the liner notes from the cd and found the Scriptures used with the song. I would like to share them with you. They will bless your heart as they did mine:

Romans 8:28: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

2 Corinthians 4:16 - 18: "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Psalm 42:5: "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance."

Job 1:20 - 21: "Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said: “ Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Daniel 3:16 - 18: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

In looking at the "big picture", we will never come to grips with why we face what we face in life, good or bad, until we reach eternity. It is glorious to remember sometimes that we serve a God who can be (and should be) praised during the good times and the bad times. Because in His Sovereignty, they are for His glory.

May we learn from our trials, may we praise God for our trials, and may we grow spiritually because of our trials.