On praising the Lord... even in hard circumstances

"Come and see what the Lord has done; he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of God." Psalms 66:5

I don't know if you are in a place in your life where you feel like praising God. You may be going through a storm that you may feel like you might not even make it through. You may feel like the earth has been ripped out under you and you may feel like you are barely surviving. You may not feel like praising God in this season of your life because of circumstances that have not been kind to you.

I don't know your story, I don't know your hurt. But one thing I know, the God in heaven does. And one thing I am learning, is despite your trauma, pain, or hardships.. God is still working out things for your good and your protection. God is still worthy to be praised. And it's important that we choose to praise God even when we don't feel like it or situations in life are not the way we believe they should be.

Friends, we have to praise God anyhow.

This is important, crucial, yet also very difficult.

But if I stop praising God friends, that is when the devil starts to get ahold of my mind and my heart. Praise is one of my weapons against Satan's temptations. Praising God is a way I can heal. Praising God is the best way to cope. Praising God is one of the only ways to get better instead of bitter.

It's something I'm still learning. It's a day to day process of maturity and growth.

But every day that I praise God friends, it gets better. Life gets better. I grow closer to God; I experience renewed joy every day that I look to my Father and say thank you.

Thank you God for another day of life. Let me not take it for granted. Thank you God for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Thank you God for the flowers, thank you God for the sun in the sky, and thank you God for giving us an eternity to look forward too- with no hurt and no pain where we can be with you Lord.

Even if it may be hard, may we praise Him together today. And as we praise Him, may we experience the transformation in our hearts and minds that comes from spending time glorifying our Creator.