Praise!

Praise!

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; For I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 42:11 KJV

The Context and Focus:

At a time when it is more attractive to look inwards than upwards, today's verse is a kind reminder of what is really important. It is very easy to focus on the issues the world has at the moment: there is a financial crisis, as well as high cost of living issues, with wages or earnings no longer able to catch up with valid expenses and outgoings. It is also interesting that this verse was written at a time when there were not too many appliances or devices to make life easier; I can only imagine what the sons of Korah were going through when these words were written. I note that tough times have no regard for dispensation or generation. Tough times are quite fundamental to God's process of shaping and forming us to be all He wants us to be. As He sees the end from the beginning, it is only fit and proper that He designs a framework for our lives that will help us achieve His own plans for us. In the course of that journey, both the palatable and the not-so-palatable will happen to us, but if we stay connected and available, there is a guarantee of a good end in line with the purpose of God for us. 

The Message:

Tha sons of Korah must have had their times and seasons of doubt. As you read the earlier verses, it is clear that things had changed at a point. Some of the things that they had come to know and love had become difficult to attain, and men were now questioning where their God was. It is the usual defence of the world to question God's existence when bad and terrible things happen, but we don't like to talk about the natural consequences behind our words and actions. Tough times are not always because of the wrong we have done, but it is God's way of bringing out some treasure out of the clay that we are. When these tough times come, how you respond and what I do are important, and will always determine how I emerge from these tough times. For the sons of Korah, they sat down and first considered the past. They recalled all the amazing things God had done for them in the past, and it was then easier to depend on Him for the future. God's dealings in the past are testimonies and guarantees of the ability and capacity of God to do what He has promised. He may not repeat a miracle the same way he did it for another, but His power and nature make it clear that nothing is impossible with God. 

The Conclusion:

For the sons of Korah, the response would be praise. Let no one deceive you into thinking it will be easy by human standards to praise God when things are rough. It is human nature for us to thrive when things are smooth and nice, and it is human for us to complain a bit when things are rough. This is why praise is not so much a human thing, but an outflow from a heart that knows and understands who God is, what He is, what He has done in the past, and the amazing things He can still do in the present. Hope does not flow out of a heart that is unable to comprehend the connection between the past, present and future. From a spiritual perspective, we know that the past does not in any way determine the present, and the present does not control the future. This is why we have hope: we know that the past and the present can be used by God to shape and lead us to the future He has already pre-detemined according to His perfect will. Nothing catches Him by surprise, so nothing comes to me without His knowledge and permission. This is why I praise and will continue to praise God. God's time of favour is here.