Betwixtwo

 

Praise in all situations

This is Habakkuk 3:17-19 in the Complete Jewish Bible

¹⁷ For even if the fig tree doesn't blossom, and no fruit is on the vines, even if the olive tree fails to produce, and the fields yield no food at all,
¹⁸ even if the sheep vanish from the sheep pen,
and there are no cows in the stalls;
¹⁸ still, I will rejoice in ADONAI, I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
 ELOHIM Adonai is my strength! He makes me swift and sure-footed as a deer and enables me to stride over my high places.

It seems that Habakkuk was convinced that God was worthy of praise regardless of what was going on around him. If the food supply fails, the sheep vanish and the cows disappear God is still worthy to be praised.

So many things are going on around us that we can get overwhelmed. Wars, persecution, interest rates and then the taxes, “Oh the taxes!” The loss of a loved one can kick our feet right out from under us and sickness makes us tired and unmotivated.  It’s so easy to lose sight of who we are in Christ and who God is in us. We tend to give in to the weakness and fatigue and take a nap instead of pressing into our source.   

This is where a “Sacrifice” is needed. A “Sacrifice of Praise”.

Hebrews 13:15 CJB
¹⁵ Through him, therefore, let us offer God a sacrifice of praise continually. For this is the natural product of lips that acknowledge his name.

In verse 14 it says that we don’t have a home here, we seek one to come. When we become a new creature (2 Cor 5:17) we are no longer of this earth. We live here in our Earth Suit, but we don’t belong here. We are raised up together and seated together with Christ in Heavenly places (Eph 2:6). Praise puts our total focus on Him as we seek Him first and let Him take care of everything else (Matt 6:33). It is a natural outcropping of our relationship with Jesus and is one of the most powerful tools God has given us. The more we use it, the more powerful it becomes. When we pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and grit our teeth to praise Him, just because He is Worthy, great power is released around us.

We enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise (Ps 100). Then He makes us strong and sure-footed like a deer so we can conquer all those high mountains before us. Then Joy comes and the Power of Praise brings Victory. Trouble + Praise = VICTORY!

Here are some scriptures to get you started: Isiah 61:10-11, Ps 34:1-4, 68:3-4, 103:1-5, 118:24, and many more!

So no matter what, PRAISE HIM!