When It Seem Like You Shouldn't

Volume 14 Issue 6

Greeting in His Name,

The world is still spinning on its axis, despite the turmoil and neglect that some people are facing. It would seem at this moment we should stop trusting God and take matters into our own hands. However, the world is turning on its axis because there is a God who is in control of all things. Today's blog entitled When It Seem Like You Shouldn't, should give you some hope if you are hopeless. And if not hopeless, it should further empower you to keep on, keeping on. Because despite it all God deserves our praise. I hope you find some inspiration, conviction, and queries.

shalom and love,

heidi

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Take me back, take me back, dear Lord, to the place where I first received you. Take me back, dear Lord, where I first believed.

2 Samuel 22:1 – 7

David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior — from violent people you save me. "I called to the Lord, {when it seems like it's too big} who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies. The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. "In my distress I called to the Lord {when it seems like you shouldn't}; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

There are life experiences where we are pulled so hard that we think this is not the time to PRAISE but the time to cry, this is not the time to PRAISE but the time to attend a pity party, this is not the time to PRAISE but the time to throw in the towel but God says no this - is – the - time; when all seem lost - to praise me. This is the time to shower me with glory and adoration…. When It Seems Like You Shouldn't!

Some time ago, a co-worker shared a testimony that inspired this message. He talked about how his brother had gone missing, and no one had heard from him. Days passed without any word, and my co-worker became increasingly troubled. He realized he wouldn't be able to sleep that night, so instead of succumbing to worry and despair, he chose to praise God. He created a playlist of praise songs and danced and sang until he was completely drained, but in doing so, he developed a trust in God that no adversity [no devil in hell] could shake.

Not long after, his mother called to say that his brother had just walked through the door. I told him that I would have been running with joy, but he said that at that point, all he could do was cry. It's a reminder that even when it seems like we should give up {When it Seems Like You Shouldn't}, even when the world and our minds urge us to surrender to despair. But God encourages us to PRAISE HIM instead.

Three things came out of his testimony, and even as I think back on David, the slayer of Goliath, the one who killed his tens of thousands, the one who is a man after God's own heart. Three things come to mind, and they should come to the mind of every person who names the name of Christ.

Looking at David and my co-worker, they…

1. Respond Differently

2. Handle Differently

3. Display Differently

   
   

Different than whom? Different than the world.

From each perspective, I found that David was the man to help us be different.

Let's look at responding differently – David, as we can see in the text, praised God because he was hemmed in by his father-in-law, Saul, many times. Look at the text (2 Samuel 22:1-3): David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior — from violent people you save me. More than once, Saul tried to kill him, more than once Saul was jealous of him, but every single solitary time David responded I will not touch God's anointed. So if David has the sense to not touch God's anointed, then why does the word exclaim, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm." Why is it that we so easily fall into Saul mode —jealous of folks gifting, envious of folks' blessings, killing folks' character with our gossip? I can hear Job say, The Lord gave. If the Lord gave the gift — gave the blessing—then we have no room to fret about it. Isn't it obvious when God blesses me, He is blessing you. When It Seems Like You Shouldn't, you'd better praise God and his people.

Let me tell you something, David knew how to respond! David knew the power of Psalm 27:14; Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. He knew the power of Isaiah 40:31; "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." David knew the power of Psalm 62:5, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. David was waiting upon the Lord and letting him fight the battle. How are you responding today? Are you responding like the world? When it seems like you should retaliate, strike back, hit back, get revenge, get even, even the score, a true Christian, when it seems like you shouldn't, will stand on the saying, When praises go up, blessings come down.

Not only does a true Christian respond differently, but he handles things differently. 2 Samuel 22:4-6: "I called to the Lord, {when it seems like it's too big} who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies. The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. At this point, David could have taken on an attitude of revenge, like He almost did in 1 Samuel 25:32-34: David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak." David exclaims PRAISE BE TO THE LORD! David had helped Nabal's servants by keeping them safe while they were in the wilderness. Now, it came a time when David and his men needed provisions, so they asked Nabal's servants to ask their master to help with those provisions. Nabal, in turn, sent back a nasty response, and David was about to take this situation into his own hands and kill Nabal and everyone in his family. Thankfully, Abigail got word, and David praised God for her help in helping him handle this situation differently. So, we don't have to handle our situations the way the world handles theirs. There should be a distinction between our ways and theirs. We shouldn't be cussing, fussing, fighting, and shooting, but we should be shouting and shouting and shouting - praising God. Because in the end, Abigail told Nabal what could have happened; we all have had some what could have happened situations. Fast forward after hearing what could have happened, Nabal was paralyzed by fear, had a stroke, and died. Verse 39 says that when David heard that Nabal had died, he praised the Lord because the Lord had taken revenge. The songwriter said PRAISE IS WHAT I DO –even when I'm going through. We don't have to fight! The Lord will show you how to handle things differently. When It Seems Like You Shouldn't – all we have to do is … let go and let God.

So, we respond differently, we handle differently, and lastly, we display differently. Verse 7 says, "In my distress I called to the Lord [when it seems like you shouldn't]; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears. We display differently. Display means to show or exhibit. And I tell you the world got this one down packed. But as I thought about this blog, my mind raced back to a few months ago. There was a special time of fasting called the AME Zion connectional church. The time was titled "The Kingdom Agenda: From Church Mentality to Kingdom Mentality." It was a time of repentance, renewal, and forgiveness. Bishop Crenshaw gave a stirring message entitled Just Be the Church with the points: 1) We must become the Lord's Image, 2) We possess the Lord's Influence, and 3) We are the Lord's Instrument. Display, display, as I stated, the world got this one down packed – display. It is what pulls at our young and causes them to fall prey to the ways of the world. The music, the TV, the internet, social media --- all of this is about display - about image. And, sad to say, most of what we see is a lie, but we want it. Understand -- it is the truth of the word that sets us free. My recall of my salvation story reminds me of how bound I was and how free I am now.

Let's take this last look at David, the slayer of Goliath. 1 Samuel 17:45–47, David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands." Sounds like David knows where his help comes from. David was known as the sweet psalmist who was not afraid to attack what was attacking him. Remember my co-worker —he, like David, took a stand to praise God in the midst of trouble, to declare God's sovereignty because he knew who was in control. I don't know if you've been in your home, faced with trials, troubles, and tribulations, and you let go of yourself in praise to God – I have. I tell you, God will hear that sound of praise, and he will come to your rescue. Since I'm so enthralled with the Hebrew language, let me give you seven words of praise in Hebrew. If you want to thank him you give a TOWDAH, if you're going to lift your hands in praise, reverence, and worship you give him a YAHDAH, if you want to bless him you give him a BARUCH, if you want to shout you give him a SHABACH, if you are a musician or if you are like me you can tap on anything and make a beat you give him a ZAMAR, if you want to make a show or boast you give him a HALAL, if you're going to do all of the above PRAISE HIM give him a TEHILLAH. I don't know about you, but right now I could do with a shout because the Lord has been good to me. Every day, he shows me how to respond, how to handle, how to display, which leads me to how to praise him.

John Wesley was about 21 years young when he went to Oxford University. He came from a Christian home, and he was gifted with a keen mind and good looks. Yet in those days, he was a bit snobbish and sarcastic. One night, however, something happened that set in motion a change in Wesley's heart. While speaking with a porter [janitor], he discovered that the poor fellow had only one coat and lived in such impoverished conditions that he didn't even have a bed. Yet he was an unusually happy person, filled with gratitude to God. Wesley, being immature, thoughtlessly joked about the man's misfortunes. "And what else do you thank God for?" he said with a touch of sarcasm.  The porter smiled, and in the spirit of meekness replied with joy, "I thank Him that He has given me my life and being, a heart to love Him, and above all a constant desire to serve Him!" Deeply moved, Wesley recognized that this man knew the meaning of true thankfulness. 

Many years later, in 1791, John Wesley lay on his deathbed at 88. Those who gathered around him realized how well he had learned the lesson of praising God in every circumstance. Despite Wesley's extreme weakness, he began singing the hymn, "I'll Praise My Maker While I've Breath." 

I challenge you the next time you have an out-of-my-control event [When it seems too big] in your life. Watch how you RESPOND. Watch how you HANDLE IT. Watch what you DISPLAY. BECAUSE OUR GOD IS BIG. Praise Him. Don't just prepare yourself for this world, but prepare yourself for the next. John says in Revelations 19, I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting, 'Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God.' Don't wait till you get to the other side… Shout! Praise Him Now! When it seems like you shouldn't.

LIFE QUOTE

“Now let me burn out for God."

-Henry Martyn

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