Will You Praise Anyhow?!

Have you ever heard the saying; when praises go up blessing come down?

How many of you know that this is very easily done when things are going all so great?! But when your heart is torn, will you praise Him anyhow?

Life can be exigent and at times unfair. Things happen that you never saw coming of even expected. You’re walking or riding down this road called life feeling good, thinking big, and praising God, and then without any warning, easy street has transitioned into road where praising anyhow is easier said than done!

What I pose to you today is that your most challenging times in life are also the most magnificent! These are times when you find out what you are really made of, what is really inside of you, and if God is still worthy of the praise that you gave when life played out the way that you wanted it to.

Psalm 103:2-5 says:

2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Let’s analyze this passage of scripture.

I will bless (praise) the Lord and forget not all his benefits.
Even on not so easy street, you can praise the Lord for what He has done. He did not let you down in the past and He won’t let you down now! God cares for you, so praise Him anyhow!

Praise Him, who forgives all sin.
So you messed up, or you made a mistake? God forgives you, so praise Him anyhow!

Praise Him who heals all diseases.
When you’re sick and losing money because you can’t work, when your loved one is sick and not seeming to get well, remember that He is a healer. Praise Him anyhow!

You lost your job, the car got repossessed, and an eviction notice was placed on the door this morning. Praising may be the toughest thing to do, but did you know that you serve a God who has bought back your life from devastation? Look not at your situations, but to a God who’s Word cannot return void! Even when you can’t physically see your situation converting, praise Him anyhow!

God has crowned your head with His adoration, compassion, and tender leniency. Do you understand that? He, who owns everything, including you, has covered you with His love, His compassion, and mercy! Do you understand the magnitude of that statement? Do you understand how much The Lord absolutely loves you? If you understand this, then praise Him anyhow!!

God has only great things in store for you, and although it is so very hard to praise Him in advance for the things He will do, and even more difficult to continue to praise Him for what He has already done, I challenge you to praise Him anyhow!

You life is in God’s hands, just as a child in the hands of a mother, you are in the hands of your Almighty Father!

Trails and challenges will come; this is a part of life. But in this life, you are not alone, but carried in the most precious of hands. It is inevitable that there will be up’s and down’s in life, but you have a choice of how to handle the down times. You can praise or complain. It’s up to you.

Whatever decision you make, remember what happened to the complainers in the bible. The children of Israel, when being lead to Egypt by Moses, they complained. They complained in Israel. They complained while traveling out of Israel. They complained about the food, they complained and they remained in the wilderness. What should have been an 11 day journey became 40 years of traveling around the same mountain of complaining.

So the question is do you believe that your situation will change? Do you believe that God can lead you out of this place? Do you see yourself with a great job, and that home and car that you always dreamed of? Do you see yourself with a husband/ wife and family? Do you see yourself so blessed that you cannot even explain it? Do you believe that you serve a mighty God who will never let you down regardless of the way that life seems to appear at this time? If you believe it, then Praise, Praise, Praise! Praise Him for where you are going! Praise Him for what you see in your mind’s eye! Praise Him because you know that He is an awesome God! Praise Him for shutting the doors in your life that needed to be shut, and for opening doors that you know He will open! Praise Him because you can, because this situation has not taken you out of the game, being that you are still here! No matter what happens in life, Praise Him Anyhow! For when praises go up, blessings truly do come down!

In the words of Pastor Paula White; Praisers get raised and complainers remain.