This simple, yet profound statement is the opening line of M. Scott Peck's "The Road Less Traveled". He affirms this to be "a great truth, one of the greatest truths."
When we look at the world in which we live, it isn't hard to see that Peck is right. Life IS difficult. It is easy to become overwhelmed with the stress of day to day life. Often we face challenges that we feel powerless to overcome. There are days when we don't feel like getting out of bed, and days when we feel like giving up.
Despite all this, there is good news for those who put their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul said, we "can do all things through Him who gives us strength."(Philipians 4:13) In fact, Jesus himself said, " These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
How do we tap into this power Paul talked about and the promise of peace Jesus gave us? I believe the first step is praise. We need to look no farther than the Lord's Prayer for evidence of this. When Jesus instructed his disciples how to pray, he instructed them to began by saying "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..." By beginning our prayer with praise we are humbling ourselves before God, lifting him up in adoration, entering into the very presence of God. And where the presence of the Lord is, there is power! Psalms 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of his people.
The bible has a lot to say about the power of praise. In 2 Samuel 22:4, David said, "I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies."
I would like to point to two different stories in the bible that demonstrate the power of praise. One is in the Old Testament, the other in the New.
2 Chronicles Ch. 20 tells the story of Jehosophat and the children of Judah who found themselves outnumbered by the hostile armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir. The situation was bleak. The odds were agaisnt them. However, in the midst of the trial, Jehosophat did not focus on the problem. He focused on praise. The bible says that "As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated."
In the book of Acts we find a similar story. In Acts 16 we find Paul and Silas jailed for declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ. Instead of giving up, we see once again that they were not moved by their circumstances. They knew the power of praise. Just like the story of the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, they were strong in their faith. They trusted God to deliver them. And, in the midst of their problems they gave him praise and honor.
Acts 16:16-35
"...The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened..."
We can develop a heart of praise like Jehosophat, David, Paul and Silas. I believe that if we learn how to give God praise in all things, he will deliver us from the bondage of our pain. We don't have to carry our burdens. Jesus paid the price for our sins and he defeated the power of the enemy.
Jesus wants us to trust him. For we know that, "God works everything for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
I Bless Your Name
Words and Music by Elizabeth Goodine
In prisoners' chains
With bleeding stripes
Paul and Silas prayed that night
And in their pain began to sing
Their chains were loosed
And they were free
I bless Your Name
I bless Your Name
I give You honor, give You praise
You are the Life, the Truth, the Way
I bless Your Name
I bless Your Name
Some midnight hour
If you should find
You're in a prison in your mind
Reach out and praise
Defy those chains
And they will fall
In Jesus' Name
We bless Your Name
We bless Your Name
We give You honor, give You praise
You are the Life, the Truth, the Way
We bless Your Name
We bless Your Name
You are the Life, the Truth, the Way
We bless Your Name
We bless Your Name
2 comments:
Great post! Reminds me of a song that the Imperials recorded in the 1970's:
Praise The Lord
When you're up against a struggle
That shatters all your dreams
And your hope has been cruelly crushed
By Satan's manifesting scheme
And you feel the urge within you
To submit to earthly fears
Don't let the faith you're standing in, seem to disappear
(Chorus)
Praise the Lord
He can work with those who praise Him ,
Praise the Lord
For our God inhabits praise,
Praise the Lord
For the chains that seem to bind you
Serve only to remind you that they drop powerless behind you
When you praise him
Now satan is a liar
And he wants to make us think
That we are paupers
When he knows himself
We're children of the King
So lift up the might shield of faith
For the battle has been won
We know that Jesus Christ has risen
So the work's already done
(Repeat Chorus)
Praise and worship has gotten me through some really dark places. Thanks for reminding me of the power of praise.
Thank you. That is a great song also! I love music. I was listening to the song "I Bless Your Name" a couple of days ago and I had never really given much thought to the lyrics. But for some reason they really spoke to my heart that night.
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