Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Choosing Praise Despite Circumstances
Billy Taylor remembers sitting in his office when the boss came in unexpectedly. It was late in the day, and the boss started talking about organization changes. Then he fired Billy! He was shocked! As Billy drove home, he wondered how he was going to survive. He had a wife and 3 children, a home mortgage, and very little savings. How would they make it?
Maybe you know how Billy was feeling. Maybe you’ve lost your loved one, job, health, or something else you value highly. What did you do? Billy Taylor chose to praise the Lord even in this dark and difficult time. Then he experienced a new kind of peace and hope in Jesus that helped to chase away his fears, even before the Lord provided a solution. We can to the same. In the weeks that followed, Billy came to realize:
- Praise moves our focus away from ourselves to God
- Praise reminds us that the Lord is in control
- Praise is a confession of our dependence on Christ1
Billy realized that he needed to learn those lessons afresh. So do I.
This post builds on our previous one. You can read Praise to Jesus (Part 1).
Here are some more Psalm nuggets to use for personal, family, or small-group meditation. They help us look up to Jesus and rejoice in Him regardless. I suggest that you read them aloud. Remember that Christ our Lord used the Psalms Himself for praise and prayer during hardships from His youth in Nazareth to Calvary’s cross! In addition, I scatter in some quotations and hymn stanzas.
Praises in the Psalms
Psalm 34:1-3 I will extol the Lord at all times. His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord. Let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me. Let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 42:3,5 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
Comment: Notice in these verses, the inspired writers choose to adore the Lord even when they are hurting, tearful, taunted by scoffers, and fearful. The Psalmists remind themselves of God’s goodness, even when their next steps forward are uncertain. Father, help us to do that!
No matter what precautions we take, no matter how well we put together a good life, no matter how hard we work to be healthy, wealthy, comfortable with friends and family, and successful with our career—something will inevitably ruin it… We don’t really know Jesus is all we need until Christ is all we have… The Lord empowers us to sit in the midst of this world’s sorrows, tasting our coming joy in Jesus.2
Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Heavenly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Savior, reigns forever and ever.
Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet and Priest and King!
Christ is coming, over the world victorious.
Power and glory unto the Lord belong! (Fanny Crosby)3
More Praises in Psalms
Psalm 68:32-35 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, to Him Who rides the ancient skies above, Who thunders with mighty voice. Proclaim God’s power and majesty. You are awesome, O God, in Your sanctuary. Your give power and strength to Your people. Praise be to God!
Psalm 95:1-7 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD. Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God and King above all others. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.
Comment: In praising other people, it’s easy to go overboard. But in praising Christ, we remember who He really is to us and remind others also. It is impossible to exaggerate the Lord’s value to us. Our danger is saying too little. The best service we give to God is to praise Him with our lips and follow Christ in lives of trust and obedience.
The resurrection Jesus will give His followers is not just consolation; it is restoration. We get it all back—the love, the loved ones, the goods, the beauties of this life—but in new, unimaginable degrees of glory and joy and strength…. The only love that won’t disappoint us is one that can’t change, that can’t be lost, that is not based on the ups and downs of life or of how well we live. It is something that not even death can take away from us. God’s love in Christ is the only thing like that. (Tim Keller)4
To you who have confessed, loved, and served the Lord below,
He will say, “Come near, you blessed ones, see the kingdom I bestow.
You forever shall my love and glory know. (John Newton)5
Notes (various Bible translations): 1 www.linkedin.com/pulse/praising-god-difficult-times-billy-taylor. 2 Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, p. 3, 5, 31. 3 Stanza 3 from “Praise Him! Praise Him!” written by Fanny Crosby (1869). See more about her in the previous post. 4 Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, p. 59, 304. 5 Stanza 3 from “Day of Judgment! Day of Wonders! written by John Newton (1774).