Our small, backwoods high school was finally joining the big city schools, we had formed our first-ever football team! We were thrilled with our bumpy field, small-scale bleachers, inexperienced marching band; our students were more than tolerant to the fact that those chilly fall games would be held on Saturday mornings due to our lack of stadium lighting. And when we won our first game of the season, pure euphoria. The rambunctious cheering echoed throughout the farm-laced neighborhood. But sadly, that was our ONLY win during that dreadful maiden season, so our Saturdays would be spent mustering up some cheers for a team that would consistently be on the losing end of the scoreboard. Not particularly easy, or fun.
Job was a man immersed in total devotion to his God, “perfect and upright, one that feared God and eschewed evil.” That’s quite the resume. His days were bathed in sacrifice, prayer, and praise “…continually.” Job was blessed, a successful businessman, with abundant livestock and faithful servants. Ten children comprised his rich legacy. He definitely had plenty reasons to praise His powerful God! And that was precisely Satan’s argument. Lord, You have blessed him beyond measure. Take what he has and You will see, those praises will turn into curses-quickly! God allowed Job to be tested, stripping him of his substance, his wealth, his health, and his children. How could Job possibly retain a spirit of praise while enduring such deep loses? This aged man of God had learned an important lesson during his walk with God, praise does not rely on what we have, but WHO we know. Job “arose…fell on the ground, and worshiped.”
The sweet psalmist, David, understood that in times of weariness and tears, our focus must zero in on a faithful God, not on the circumstances surrounding us. This singing shepherd bared his burdened heart to the Ultimate Shepherd: “O God…I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God,” begging his God to “deliver…hear…and draw nigh.” But David realized that even when the flood waters overwhelmed him, he needed to “magnify” his God, praise him with “thanksgiving.” Raising our voice in praise and worship silences the enemy and dislodges his foothold in our lives. As we “praise the name of God with a song,” our Father heals our wounded spirit, restores joy, and revives our sorrowful heart. Find YOUR song of worship today!
Psalm 69:1,2,30 Save me, O God, for the waters are come into my soul. I sink in deep mire…I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Bonus Challenge: Read Psalm 69 in its entirety and travel the road of praise through pain with David.