It’s pretty easy to praise God when everything is going your way. But what happens when things don’t go your way? What then? Can you still maintain a thankful attitude? More importantly, I want to explain why you should.
I’m a pretty positive person and it takes a lot to get me down. But my family and I have been going through a season of strife lately. It started sometime around Christmas when my son got sick, then me, then my husband and then my son again. It hasn’t stopped yet. Individually, each thing isn’t catastrophic or even life threatening. But collectively, they are beginning to wear me out.
In the midst of our ongoing struggle, I noticed my amount of praise and gratitude diminished. It’s difficult to be thankful when life gets hard. Oddly enough, every time I find myself in this situation, I’m reminded of a peculiar little verse in Job. In fact, I memorized long ago in another season of pain.
“Yea though you slay me, I will praise your name!”
Jesus tells us that in this life we will have trouble. I guarantee you, at some point in time, it will find you. But it’s how we handle the struggle that matters. Job’s words from the 13th chapter remind me, even if God brings the trouble upon me, I will praise His name!
Job’s story may be much like our story. Life was going really well for him until it wasn’t. In one day, he lost all his herds, his sons and his daughters. Upon receiving the news, he tore his clothes, shaved his head and fell face first to the ground in worship, saying, “Naked I came from my mothers’ womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job is an inspiration to me because somehow he remembered God in the midst of his pain.
Job made a choice.
Praise has a way of changing things. Now, I’m not saying your situation is going to change just because you choose to praise God. However it might. Praise mysteriously changes your perspective. We have to choose to find the good in the midst of our bad. We have to choose to find God in it. Because God is in it!
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises…
4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fear
Romans 5:3-5 says; “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. 4 And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. 5 Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
How will you respond?
So the next time you find yourself in a slew of trouble, look for the goodness of God. Trust God because He is faithful. Focus on the truths that are found in the Bible. Study God’s Word, listen to music, sing a song, memorize scripture. Even if you don’t feel like it. Figure out who God is and be confident in who God is to you. Then you won’t have to choose to praise God. It will naturally flow from your soul. God is all you need and God is enough.
Let this song be your prayer today. (If you can’t see the YouTube, open in your browser.) -M
Next up:
- March 7th; I will be speaking at New Beginnings UMC in Boiling Springs, SC for their annual Women’s Retreat. This year’s theme, The Me Disease. I’m excited to share my story. Check out my Facebook page for more info or message me. Registration is still open. Tickets are $15.00. Click the link to register to attend.
- I am currently teaching an 8-week book study for The Me Disease. I am super excited because when the study is complete, so will the The Me Disease WORKBOOK! I am anxious to offer this accompaniment workbook to help you on your spiritual journey.
- The Me Disease is available on Amazon in print or digital. You can pick up your copies right here.
- Check out my YouTube Channel and SUBSCRIBE.
- Leave me a comment below because I love hearing from you.
4 thoughts on “Even though you slay me…”
I love the story of Job. God allowed Satan to send all those trials to Job but God said Satan could not kill Job. This is hard for some people to understand including me..why would God allow this?? And to me the answer is because God knew Job’s heart and knew he was strong enough for the challenge.
When we look at Job and we see how he continually praised God when so many people where telling him to just be done and curse God he said no and praised him that much more! And when Job’s time of trials were over God blesses Job even more than what Job had lost.
Wow!! What a testimony!!
Sometimes we go through things not for us but for God to use us for others to see how we respond and how we handle our situations. Because as you said above Romans 3:3-5 tells us perseverance produces character, character produces hope and hope does not fail!
Jesus tells us in John 16:33 ““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.””
John 16:33 NIV
I enjoyed this devotion and it is good to see you being used as one of a God’s lights in the world!
Thank you Alison. There is so much we can learn from Job. My lesson is that even in the midst of my trials, either now or in the future, not to forget to keep my eyes on God and keep on praising Him. God is so good! Thanks for reading and thanks for commenting. #keeppraising -M
Our God is so faithful to us, his children, even in the trials we face . I pray that your family is on the mend from sickness and other health issues that have visited… the song🎵 from Casting Crowns is one of my fav” Praise you in the Storm”🎶….💙🌻💙🌻
I love that Casting Crowns song as well. Thank you Molly Beth. Hugs to you my sweet friend! -M