Praise Him Anyway!

Today I awoke to yet another rainy day in a string of less‐than‐desirable June days, and right away my energy and outlook (not email!) seemed sapped. But hey…we should be used to it out here…and if not, well…the Lord has prepared this day for us, so let’s rejoice and celebrate Him in it! (Ps. 118:24).

    If you’re anything like me (which one of me is enough!), then your week can often start off by the tone set emotionally, physically and spiritually from within you. If you don’t believe me, then take a moment to ponder the events of your past week. Let’s say the weekend was sunny, warm and you got to hang out with friends/family…maybe had a nice bar‐b‐q…went for a run…played some golf…went on a hike. Your relationships seemed to go without incident, and you went to church, heard a good message, sang songs that really connected with you…and you even remember the kind words your employer gave you the previous week about a job/task done well, or your kids seemed particularly appreciative and respectful of your parenting. Your spouse pays extra attention, and perhaps surprises you with some extra love and kindness…what a great weekend.  Monday rolls around, it’s still sunny and you’re ready to get on with a “good” start to the week, and you find that little voice within saying; “Praise God…what a great life I’m blessed with!”

    Now…say you had a rough week at work…you had some relational conflicts with friends/family…you had to work overtime on the weekend, and when you were off…it’s raining. You might find yourself either too busy to go to church, or you go…but the message isn’t one that you particularly wanted to hear…and the songs…well they only sang one I really “liked.” Your kids are pushing the boundaries of respect, and your spouse seemed detached and uninterested…perhaps even contributing You wake up Monday morning…it’s rainy…forecast is gloomy…and you start the week mired in a fog, with no rejoicing to be found within you, and the little voice inside you says; “thanks a lot God”.

    Now we can alter any variation of the above scenario (add a flu bug…work conflict…pay raise…resolving a conflict…money issues…) and you get the point…we are emotionally fickle people who often allow the circumstance(s) of our surrounding/atmosphere to dictate our response in worship of/to God…or lack thereof…I know I have. So what’s the point with all this? Whether you’re starting the week off in a good frame of mind/heart, or you want to crawl back into bed and hide…the Psalmist is showing (and reminding) us that in any circumstance…God is good, and worthy of praise. Why? Because “His love endures forever” (Ps.118:1).

    That entire Psalm is about recalling what God had done for Israel…thanking Him for His deliverance in the midst of crappy circumstances, and calling people to recall the MANY ways the Lord had blessed them…even if they didn’t feel very blessed. In fact, if you find it tough to praise God when things seem less than ideal…remember that this is the same Psalm Jesus recited just before He went out into the garden of Gethsemane (right before His arrest and trial‐ Matt. 26:30; Mk. 14:26). BUT…it’s also quite possibly the same Psalm that will be an Anthem of praise when Jesus returns (…see v. 26 and then check out Matt. 23:39).

    So whether in good, or not‐so‐good times, let’s give God praise because His love truly does endure forever. When we’re in a committed relationship with Christ Jesus, and truly aware of His grace in our lives, we praise God not because we HAVE TO…we praise Him because we WANT TO…we’re compelled to call out and give props to our maker, savior and King!!

    So would you join me in Praising God anyway we can…and if you don’t feel like it…praise Him anyway still!