God's Will?

Psalm 34:1 (NET) - I will praise the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise him.

Psalm 34 is attributed to David.

In verse one, he states that he will praise the Lord continuously.

That means praising the Lord even when things are not going well.

Praising the Lord when circumstances are in our favor is one thing.

In fact, it is rather easy.

Praising Him during times of loss and tragedy is another matter.

Is it even conceivable that one could praise the Lord when a loved one dies?

Can a person praise the Lord when they have lost their sole means of income?

Is praising the Lord at all possible when a person hits rock bottom?

According to Paul, it is possible.

It is, in fact, God’s will!

Paul says so in his first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NET) - Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Paul echoes David’s words.

But Paul goes a step further.

Paul reminds his readers that this is “God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This is God’s will for us as well.

We will encounter both good times and challenging times throughout our lives.

But, no matter what happens, we should always praise the Lord.

Yes, that even applies if we should hit rock bottom.

For when all else is lost, one understands that God is truly essential.

2 Samuel 6 reminds us of the time when David and his men brought back the ark of the covenant.

David danced in the streets.

This angered Saul’s daughter because she thought David looked foolish.

She was probably not the only one.

When we praise God under adverse conditions, people might think we act and sound foolish as well.

But when a loved one dies, we can praise God for their love and lasting influence.

When we lose our job, we can praise God for friendships created and opportunities ahead.

And, if we hit rock bottom, we can praise God for reminding us that He is all we need.

So always praise God.

Pray and give Him thanks for all circumstances.

As Paul says: “For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 11, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, February 18, 2022