You inhabit the praises of Your people (II) A sacrifice of praise

It is relatively easy to praise the Lord when things are going well, that is if we are not want to take Him for granted. It’s another thing to praise Him when your world is turned upside down. I have not always done this well! It is however something that we can learn, and it is life saving, and life giving! Brian Doerksen, a Canadian worship leader, tells of the circumstances that lead to his receiving his famous song “Now is the time to worship.” It came at the end of what he describes as the darkest and lowest season of his life. Among other things this was about learning that two of his six children had a condition called Fragile X Syndrome, a form of mental retardation.

He tells that while he was going for an exercise/prayer walk one morning he “heard” the song coming to him as clear as a bell. The verse that stands out this to me this morning reads “One-day every tongue will confess you are Lord, one day every knee will bow. Still the greatest treasure remains for those, who gladly choose you now.” Indeed every knee shall bow whether they want to or not (Romans 14:11), and there is indeed treasure (reward), for the faith that chooses Him now. But just as a loving father delights in his children, the Lord also treasures such a response in His children. He treasures our choice to love and trust and praise Him while it remains a choice for us to make. So the question comes to mind, in the difficult times, in the times when we are overwhelmed, in the times when we least feel like praising the Lord, will we still praise Him? When we praise Him in spite of it all, this can rightly be called a sacrifice of praise!

Worship songs have helped me greatly to choose to praise Him in my own time of need, in times where I have felt literally overwhelmed. The Vineyard song “Yet I will praise,” is one such song. I would sing “I will praise You Lord my God, even in my brokenness … even in my desperation … even when I feel deserted … even in the darkest valley,” and “I can’t understand all that You allow, I just can’t see the reason. But my life is in Your hands, and though I cannot see You, I choose to trust You. Even when my heart is torn I will trust You Lord …” And as I did such things, over and over again He would draw me to His heart, He would lift me and comfort me, and give me the grace to go on in spite of the circumstances. In fact it is the difficult times that we truly find that He is faithful and true and beautiful.

Father, I would not be being honest if I were to say that this was easy. It was not, and there are still times when it is not. But at such times I ask rhetorically with Peter “Where shall I go, You have the Words, the rhama of life?” And I want to thank You this morning Lord for the testimony of those who, by tapping into Your grace, mercy, love and comfort, have survived far greater trials than I have. And being surrounded by this cloud of witnesses, I choose and commit again this morning to praise You in season, and out of season, when it is a joy, and when it’s a sacrifice. And I thank You for Your faithfulness to keep this that I am committing to You again this morning Lord. In Jesus lovely Name I pray these things Amen