Praise Your Way Through Storms
Storms are inevitable in life. So one of the most important life skills is to learn to handle those storms. Storms are also, maybe even especially, inevitable in Christian’s lives. In fact, I think it is a faith skill to learn to handle storms. I believe we can handle anything with faith. Without faith, we are lost in the storms of life. With faith, we are secure in Christ no matter what happens and no matter how devastating the storm seems to be. The best way to handle them is to praise your way through storms. Let me explain.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
(Isaiah 43:2, NLT,*)
Praise your way through storms
Praising God is not necessarily the first thing that comes into mind when facing affliction. But nonetheless, it’s the best way to handle them. When we praise God, we surrender our wills to him. Praising God is calling him to our rescue. It’s a decision towards God and he will hear us. Praising God seems to me to be an opening for miracles. We allow God’s presence to permeate every inch of us and then we are fine no matter of the outcome. Praising your way through storms creates outlets for God’s power. And that is a game-changer.
I bless God every chance I get;
my lungs expand with his praise.
I live and breathe God;
if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:
Join me in spreading the news;
together let’s get the word out.
God met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.
Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.
(Psalm 34:1-5, MSG,*)
Praise opens doors to all the goodness of God
This might sound too simplistic but faith is simple. It’s us leaning on omnipotent God. But when we do that, God responds to our needs. Praising might even feel idiotic at the storm of your life and that’s what the enemy wants you to believe to prevent you to bring God’s army at your rescue. We have not been left defenceless in this life. God’s power and grace are ours when we trust him. And the best way to show trust to God is praising your way through storms.
When I was desperate, I called out,
and God got me out of a tight spot.
God’s angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.
Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.
Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.
(Psalm 34:6-9, MSG,*)
Praise opens doors to all the goodness of God. This seems too good to be true but nonetheless, it is true. God wants good things for you. He wants to help you in your storms by providing you his power, peace, and even joy. When we choose to praise when the storm is raging around us, we experience God’s goodness right then and there. This is something you need to try for yourself. You will be amazed. God’s presence calms the storms within you so you can face the storms outside of you. Praising your way through storms is the best way to deal with them. Dare to try and you will celebrate in the middle of storms.
Let us pray
Gracious God,
Thank you for providing for us everything we ever need.
Enable us to trust you when we don’t feel like it.
Help us to praise you in storms and in the sunshine.
Thank you for being the constant companion for us.
We could not do life without you.
But with you, we go anywhere.
Be praised always and forever and ever.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Q4U:
P.S. The site is under construction, please be patient. Feel free to comment and give advice!
Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you
*[As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses toBiblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.].
Photo by Love Your Neighbour on Unsplash. Linking up today with Dance with Jesus, Five-minute Friday, Worth Beyond Rubies.
