The above picture is a quick bolt of lightning I managed to capture Christmas night on the way home during a lightning storm. 

This picture was taken while I was in a plane headed to New York City for a missions trip two days later (the 27th). 

Compare the two pictures and ask yourself which one inspires you to praise God. Most of you probably would say that the picture of the clouds would evoke praise to God, rather than the gloomy picture. Do you find this to be true in your life? Do you tend to only praise God in joyful and bright moments in life instead of in the dark and depressing ones? This type of response to life might be hindering your relationship with God. How? Let me tell you a story.

Several years ago, there was a man named Joseph. He had a pretty big family – one sister and eleven brothers! Joseph was his dad’s favorite son, which caused jealousy in Joseph’s brothers’ hearts. Their jealousy hardened their hearts, so they made a plan to throw him into a cistern (a deep pit for storing water, sort of like a well). Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him, but Judah (whose name means “praise“) suggested they sell him, so they pulled Joseph out of the cistern. Although Judah’s intentions were still selfish, this picture represents how praise got Joseph out of his deep pit (Genesis 35-37). Similarly, praise can get you out of your deep pit as well, whether that pit is one of depression or addiction or discontentment or whatever. 

God taught me the importance of praising Him through trials this past week while I was in New York. After our first day of outreach on the 29th, my mom called and gave me a really bad health report about my 8-year-old little brother. Among other things, she said the doctors thought he had lead poisoning and that he had gotten it through the water at their house. This news was very hard to take, especially since I was over 1,400 miles away. When I got off the phone, I laid in bed and cried through my designated quiet time. Instead of journaling a prayer to God, I silently begged God to please, please heal my baby brother. 

The next morning, I didn’t talk to anybody about what was going on. My mind was on my brother all during breakfast, and my thoughts lay heavily on petitions for his health. When our worship service started, I poured out my heart to God with an abundance of tears. I prayed fervently. After I calmed, the worship team began singing a song entitled, “Good, Good Father.” The lyrics basically talk about how God is perfect and good and loving. At first, I hesitated to sing those words. I didn’t want to say them if I didn’t mean them. (Talk about a heart check!) So I had to ask myself: 

“Is God still a good Father? Even though my baby brother is in pain? Does God really love me and my brother, despite my heartache? Are all of His ways perfect, even though I hurt?” 

The answer, of course, is yes. Now, let me tell you, I’ve never known how hard it is to sing praises to God while hurting; it’s not easy. My tears poured out harder, but I still sang the truth and told God that I trust Him because He is a good Father. 

I’m here to tell you the very same thing: God is your good Father, He loves you, and He is perfect in all His ways no matter what you are going through now, what you went through in the past, and what you will go through in the future. If trials are holding you down in a deep pit, you praise your way out of it. Tell God how good He is. Exclaim His magnificence. Proclaim His glory. Shout about His beauty. Dwell on His faithfulness, mercy, lovingkindness, grace, and sacrificial love. Doing this takes your attention off of your problems and places it on the Problem Solver. In Matthew 6 and Luke 12  Jesus asks, “And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?” (AMP). Worrying about your troubles will only press you down further, but in praising God, there is deliverance!

The next night (the 31st, 48 hours after Momma called me with the bad news), Momma called me back and told me that my brother’s lead levels were fine and that the doctors were going to run some more tests on him on January 4th. It was definitely easier to praise God then! I felt like a weight was lifted off my chest; I wanted to jump for joy. Since I had learned to praise God through the storm, my praise to God deepened when the storm was calm again. 

So trust your Heavenly Father. He is, by nature, good and holy, and you can trust Him no matter the circumstance. He is faithful. (Hallelujah!)

Lastly, please keep my little brother in your prayers. He is still having health complications, but God is still good and worthy to be praised! Pray that the doctors will find out what’s wrong with Him; but more than that, pray that our Great Physician will heal him! Amen.