The truth about the matchless love of God for us is so simple, yet so difficult to actually believe with everything we have. God never fails us because He is the One who intricately designed and planned creation and human history.
In the middle of our heartache when we lose a loved one, God is present. When you lost your job and have been searching a seeking for months and you’re getting to the end of your willpower (and severance pay), God is working. The character of God is such that He is able to control all things and be present to all people.
One of God's greatest desires is for us to be present to Him as He is always and perfectly present to us. The waiting that we experience is not God being absent, but God waiting for the right time to bestow blessings on us, all the while building our character. And the hard truth is that the blessing we are awaiting may not come before Christ returns. Brokenness plagues the whole of creation and never-ending love and joy awaits us in eternity.
Because God is sovereign over all of creation and all of life we can praise Him when we don’t see Him or when we don’t feel Him. Because God is so good we can choose (we get to choose) to praise in the midst of the storm, knowing that ‘for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.’ For His purpose – which is always to glorify His name. Until eternity is here and we are dwelling with God forever we are going to be living with disappointment. God’s desire for us is to reframe these disappointments and frustrations as opportunities to cling to Him more closely, experience His love more richly, and become more present to Him in the midst of our every need.
This means we must choose to praise. “Yes I will life You high in the lowest valley. Yes I will bless Your Name. Yes I will sing for joy when my heart is heavy. All my days, yes I will.” This is a conscious decision we must make. This is not something that will come out of us naturally as we walk in the lowest valley with heavy hearts. To praise is to choose God even in the midst of sorrow. To bless God’s Name is to thank Him when we can’t see Him working. Singing for joy is reminding ourselves of the true character of our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally when we feel alone.
Through this song, we are singing the truths of who God is. However, we are not stopping there. Once we remind ourselves of who God is we are letting those truths impact our attitudes. Truly, we are attempting to stir our hearts to worship the King of all Kings. We worship when we experience who God is. We worship when we sit with God. We worship when we slow ourselves down enough to notice we are not pursuing God and turn back toward Him.
Nothing can stand against our God. Praise God!
Scripture
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Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Romans 8:28-30
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Revelation 21:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
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