Worship is always a choice. At times it's an easy, straightforward one. When life is peaceful and painless, the choice to respond to God in thanksgiving and praise may not be such a hard one to make. But at other times in our lives, worship becomes a much gutsier decision. Caught up amidst a whirlwind of pain and confusion, the decision to cry out, "Yet I will praise You," is a costly act of devotion.
In the life of every worshipper there will come times when worship meets with suffering. And these moments shape what kind of worshippers we will become. Yes, praise be to God for times of abundance and plenty in our lives - those carefree days full of peace and laughter. Yet we praise Him also in the wilderness times - those dark and stormy seasons of the soul when we're left crying out with the psalmist, "How long, O LORD, how long?" (Psalm 6:3).
When trials come, trust must arise. When there's nothing to rock the boat, our trust in God is rarely tested. Seasons of stillness and calm are wonderful; yet before too long the winds will start to gather, and we'll find ourselves caught up once again in the storms of life. The question then is this: Can we still find our way to the place of praise?
We may have faith to believe in God as Lord of the calm - but do we also have faith to believe in Him as Lord of the storm? He is Lord of both the hurricane and the gentle breeze. The One who rules and reigns amidst all of the earthquakes of this life - those times when our whole world seems to be shaking and breaking apart...
If you yourself are in a season of struggle, take a minute even now to remind yourself of the God who sees your struggle. It's possible to talk your soul into a place of hope.
We worship a triumphant Saviour, a victorious King. The all-powerful and all-loving God, who is faithful in all He says and gracious in all He does. The One who has never been anxious, overwhelmed or outsmarted. The God of unbroken promises. When He acts, no one can reverse it. When He speaks, His commands never return empty. The God who never wastes His words.
The doors He chooses to open, no one can close; and the doors He purposes to close, no one can open. No plan of His has ever been thwarted. No one has ever outmanoeuvred Him, outlived Him or outloved Him. He remains as faithful as the day He created you in love, and as powerful as the day He spoke the world into being.
And in your brokenness He stays as close and as involved as you want Him to be.
- Matt and Beth Redman, Blessed be Your Name
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:14 (NIV)
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