It is easy to worship God, when everything is going well. It’s easy to praise God for new jobs, health, wealth, good friends and family. What about when things don’t go so well? Often we come across certain unexpected storms in our life. Storms create panic and uncertainty. Life seems bitter and meaningless. Bible teaches us to praise God in times of storms.
There are some characters in Bible who praised God in unlikely situations. This article will inspire you to praise God when you don’t feel like praising Him.
The Death of David’s Son (2 Samuel 12:14-31)
While David was flourishing as a king, he came across an unexpected storm. 15And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
16David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
The above verses clearly show how much David loved his son. David fasted for the healing of the child the whole night. Verses 17 & 18 show how much he was depressed and sad. He fasted for seven days. The servants were afraid to tell him the bad news. What he did after he came to know about his son’s death is startling.
19But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
20Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and went to the house of the lord and worshipped God. I think this is Praising God in the storm. If I was in the place of David I would have never praised God at that time. He lost his son after 7 days of Fast.
This is the true worship amidst hardship. Of course, God had greater plans and rewarded his worship. And God blessed David with Solomon, who became a great king in the history of Israel.
Praising God in storm proves our faith in the verse Romans 8:28.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Job’s Loss in Life (Job 1:6-22)
Job lost everything – cattle, servants, sons and daughters – in a single day. But still he woke up fell to the ground in worship. I do not think there is anyone else in the world who has gone through such a difficult situation like job. If he is able to worship even at such a situation, surely we too could do!
20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship.
22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
God rewarded Job with double blessing after the Storm.
12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters.
16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation.
Paul and Silas in Prison (Acts 16:16-31)
When Paul and Silas were on their way to prayer house, they had to deal with a slave girl with an evil spirit. They were falsely accused and imprisoned.
23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Paul and Silas being falsely accused without a trial, beaten up publicly, locked in the inner cell of the prison started to pray and sing hymns to God about midnight. They did not murmur, complaint about God, or curse the officials but praised God. What followed that was nothing but a miracle from God.
26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.
38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.
Paul and Silas fulfilled a greater purpose by sharing gospel to the jailer and his family.
34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God-he and his whole family.
The message is clear. Walk by faith and not by sight. Trust God and praise Him irrespective of the circumstance.
Proverbs 23:18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
Cross Eyed Wolf 