Only one! People from all over the region rushed to him and pressed against him. Here are five of these individuals, and some takeaways we can learn from them. She was a new queen who lived comfortably with the love of the king. The only way God can use everything in our lives to glorify Him and bring us to salvation is if God is sovereign, which means He must be and is in control of everything. What by faith can you do that might feel risky? She even declared: If I perish, I perish. March 20, 2022. But because she didnt take this doubt and pain to pour out her heart to God, she became bitter about the pain in her life, and was unable to see that she wasnt alone she had Ruth. God had answered my desperate call for help. When given the opportunity to step up and lead, Esther said, No way!. The primary character tested in the Bible is Jesus, who faces the ultimate testHis death on a cross. But even though God is love, and He loves every one of His children, He leads us . And who knows? Begin with a Bible verse of praise, a pre-written prayer, or even a worship song. Through Song. We are left wondering to ourselves, How did I get myself here? I felt that when I was hospitalized for a back injury. For Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in. [4] I will harden (make stubborn, defiant) Pharaohs heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will be glorified and honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians shall know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that I am the LORD. And they did so. Naomi and Ruth: Trusting God when you feel alone, 9. David ran into the wildness to escape and during this time, he had opportunities to kill Saul. in the Bible stand out, helping us to know how we should be grateful to God and what we gain from it. My flesh finds relief in making a plan or figuring out a solution, but something I learned about going through difficulty is that its an opportunity to transform my prayer life. Keeping faith in God during hard times can be extremely difficult. When perhaps your sacrifice was difficult. He thenaccepted that trusting God through it all was enough. LORD, They sang and praised God, and the Lord did their battling for them. There is no greater joy than seeing Gods destiny rise above our circumstances. 1. He stole Esaus birthright (Genesis 25:27-32 NLT) and deceived their father into giving him the blessing that was meant for Esau (Genesis 27:14-27,30-38,41 NLT). Once he heard his brother Esau was coming to meet him, he got afraid. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Does your praise and thanksgiving overflow from the good youve had to let go? Whose life are you meant to impact in the midst of difficulty? Though it is easy to get afraid of having nowhere to turn, these are the moments we can see God work at his best. They trusted God completely. How might these stories and lessons from the Bible speak to your troubles? Praising the Lord entails giving Him all of the adoration and approval He is due. The Bible has many great examples of individuals who journeyed through tough times with God by their side. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.And he who was seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new.. We have a perfect example of righteous living from Jesus and one thing he shows us is the position of praise and thanksgiving. My gut churns with pain. When I get overwhelmed or worn out I want to quit, thinking about others I care about my friends, my family, my neighborhood, helps me to keep going. God guided the Israelites to the exact place he wanted them to be, right on the edge of the Red Sea. What is one thing that you could do to make God more a part of your daily life? Solomon requested an understanding mind to enable him to govern the people fairly and to judge the kingdom righteously, with discernment between good and evil. The expression, I will still praise him signifies an inner determination and a forward-facing outlook. "Praising God isn't an option, it's a necessity." "The deepest level of worship is praising God inspite of pain, trusting Him during a trial, surrendering while suffering, and loving Him when He seems distant." Rick Warren What does it mean to praise the Lord? out to meet him and reproached him: How distinguished the king of Israel has been seen today, undressing like a If you are like me, and you endure adversity for any length of time, it can be easy to lose faith and quickly turn to self-pity and unbelief. With those words, Esther was motivated to act. Yet because of her confident faith in Jesus, she was able to ignore the pain for a moment and ultimately take the risk that changed everything. For three days and nights, abstain from all food and drink. Job protested his innocence to his friends, and eventually asked God to explain Himself. God showed his faithfulness with Zechariah and Elizabeth by working to bless their lives even after they waited a long time. But before all that can happen, God gave Isaiah an intense vision that overwhelmed him. 1. This is something we can learn: to not compromise when faced with solutions which we know are wrong. My friend was angry, but we were able to make amends. Praising God in the hard times doesnt minimize or deny heaviness of heart. Heres another Bible character who God journeyed with through tough times. He gave thanks to God for hearing his prayer for the raising of Lazarus--before Lazarus rose from the grave. There, Paul sang to God in worship, until a violent earthquake occurred. Make the choice to fill your heart with words of praise and thanksgiving for God. Our destiny is determined by God. According to John 21:15-25, the good news in all of this is that Peter was restored by Jesus, who is gracious. Though the fig tree does not budand there are no grapes on the vines,though the olive crop failsand the fields produce no food,though there are no sheep in the penand no cattle in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the Lord,I will be joyful in God my Savior.The Sovereign Lord is my strength;he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,he enables me to tread on the heights. Faith is what helps us trust God in difficult times. Praises renew our spirit and strengthen us in difficult times because difficult times will pass which is given to strengthen us in faith. Because of the nature of her illness, she was considered unclean according to the laws and traditions of the time. I cannot see because Im deep in the fog of depression. Are you honest with yourself, others, and God about your longings? Does the condition of your health (physical or mental/emotional) affect your faith? He is with you. As such, they were even able to forgive the driver responsible for the accident and had peace in their hearts. There were no warriors in Israel until I, Deborah, arose, until I arose to be a mother to Israel. Understandably, Naomi questioned Gods love for her and didnt see how anyone could understand or help her through her pain. Do you believe your difficult situation can be an opportunity for God to come through? When David returned to bless her family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came, How distinguished the king of Israel has been seen today, undressing like a. If youre going through a hard time, are you relying on God and friends, or are you pushing them away? And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever. Terms of Service For more information about subscriptions, click here. Cling to truths instead. So amid cheers and to the sound of rams horns, David and all the people Naomi was in a similar position. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Among these stories, those of Grateful Men. Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego respectfully declined. When you read Psalms, you can find so many verses about God's children singing praise even in the midst of hard times. It broke all the chains and opened the doors of the prisoners! Psalm 149:6, NIV May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, Psalm 59:16-17, ESV I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. Why do you want to know my name? the man replied. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children. If you keep reading her story, youll see that Esther does in fact speak to the king and saves her people. Do you cry out more or avoid Him? The bearers of the Ark had scarcely advanced six steps He promised never to leave or abandon his children, so we can count on his presence, even when our emotions cant confirm it. God is an outside-the-box thinker. Is it True for Christians That 'Once Saved, Always Saved'? Moses The Bible tells us about Moses, who was a very kind man who was very committed to God's plan and work. Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. They won the battle without a sword even being drawn. In fact, there are so many that it was hard to narrow down the list. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. Are you honest with God about the depths of your pain? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Random Bible Verses! We can still praise him for the Cross and the Resurrection. And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Some may be struggling with an exam season, others may be going through a painful breakup. After David's initial prayer (25:1-7), he pauses to review who the Lord is. So I will continue dancing in the presence of the. Evidently, King Saul found out that David was anointed as king in his place, in addition to the fact that the people came to love David for being a brave man in battle, who constantly delivered them from the hands of their enemies. 14 Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion! [15] At Baraks advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot. The temptation to believe that our dreams were shattered, our hopes destroyed and God no longer had a plan for our lives was strong. Then suddenly, because of a jealous king, David spent the next ten or more years running from Saul, held up in a cave with a motley crew of misfits. David is a man. On the contrary, we should continue to praise Him. Whether I understand everything or not, with an answer or without one, I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1).. This allows him to focus on God his Savior, the One who will bring deliverance and victory. I had failed all the previous examinations and was not confident things could change. He gave him a tenth of all. 2. This was not at all how we pictured our life. My stomach sinks. in a linen ephod, he began to dance before the LORD with great enthusiasm. Even though I knew it was wrong, I compromised to save myself, and regret that decision to this day. Is your faith based on the outcome of your difficult situation? , whom he had already taken as a wife knowing that she was each. Brittany Rustis a writer, speaker, and has the privilege of serving on staff at Red Rocks Church in Denver, CO. She is also the founder and director of Refresh Women's Event. We can draw near to him by singing psalms or hymns, or reflecting on his goodness and speaking well of him. For example, God is love. Knowing hell meet us when we are most broken is the beautiful reality of living the abundant life. Instead, it redirects our focus on who God is. While it is easy to focus on earthly solutions during difficult moments, God is capable of helping us in ways we may never imagine. Deepen and inspire your prayers with the Pray Deep Prayer Cards! Ultimately, its the Lord who heals the distressed soul. (4) We can be thankful in difficult times . Everyone goes through difficult times. Praise should fill our hearts every day, no matter our circumstances - especially when we are walking through seasons of great trials. Lean on the words of others until you find your own. This article was created by a member of the Deep Spirituality editorial team. But today we take a look at people who uniquely gave thanks with all their heart. Oftentimes I harden to my pain by minimizing and hiding it. But, if we review Davids story in the Bible, we realize that becoming king for him was a difficult path to travel and that, however, God was with him in every part of his life. They trusted God completely. But Thanksgiving is more than a day or a month. After losing both her husband and her sons, she felt completely empty and utterly alone. David writes in Psalm 142:4b-7, no one cares for my soul. People hang banners across their mantles proclaiming give thanks and others share on Facebook something they are grateful for each day in November. And after the three days, I will go in to the king and plead my peoples case, even though it means breaking the law. 6. When we experience periods of waiting, we can have hope by remembering Gods faithfulness and choosing to live by faith ourselves. Let's step forward together and learn practical ways to live into God's possible! These characters are the following: 1. [11] O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. David danced before the Lord in the streets as a response of praise to his holy God. God then spoke to Job in a storm. It is never easy to make it through difficult phases of life. God doesnt want us to be held back by our past, and wants to help us be able to move forward. Bible Stories about Trusting God in Difficult Times. Selah." ( Psalm 84:4 NASB) The context of Psalm 84:4 uses the phrase "be still" in a different way than we've seen so far in our study. We can act without fear or compromise, serving Him through every moment in our lives. His road was not always smooth. How can you turn your eyes to God and sing his praises when life is hard? According to 1 Kings 3:9, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and asked him what he desired. Ill be able to experience the joy of the Lord in the midst of lifes storms and challenges. Deborahs family (the people of Israel) had its dysfunctions just like many of ours do. Whenever I know my pastors are going through difficult times, seeing them continue to preach Gods word boldly encourages me that God can give us grace to go on. These Bible stories about trusting God will inspire you to overcome circumstances and inspire your faith to believe. Instead, it redirects our focus on who God is. He can give praise to our God even when He felt abandoned. Praise should fill our hearts every day, no matter our circumstances especially when we are walking through seasons of great trials. Though phenomenally inspirational, her life can leave me feeling like I cant relate. Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low! They had faith that God would save them because they trusted God would take care of them. Brittany and her husband Ryan make their home in the Rocky Mountains, pursuing outdoor adventures, great food, and memorable stories together. When David returned to bless her family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came He worshiped after the death of his son. Brethren, for this reason, in [spite of all] our stress and crushing difficulties we have been filled with comfort and cheer about you [because of] your faith (the leaning of your whole personality on God in complete trust and confidence). Below are 20 verses of praise to help you get started. Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego: trusting God no matter the outcome, 8. One of my biggest fears is the fear of bad news. The Holy Spirit causes our hearts to overflow with hope. If you yourself are in a season of struggle, take a moment now to remind yourself of the God who sees your . Theres only one exception, and thats if the king were to hold out the gold scepter to that person and spare his or her life. So King Saul took on the task of making Davids life impossible, persecuting him and trying to kill him, and although David had multiple opportunities to put an end to all that, he steadfastly refused to lay a finger on the king, firmly believing that the God who had anointed him would find a way to put him on the throne. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Though her two daughters-in-law tried to stick with her, Naomi refused to be comforted and pushed relationships away. Even in the darkest seasons of his life--as we see in the psalms--he pointed back to the goodness of God. But we can learn from David that our destiny was not determined by difficult moments. The angel showed up to Zechariah with good news while Zechariah was serving God has a priest. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;even at night my heart instructs me.I keep my eyes always on the Lord. She was a leader, a judge, a prophetess, a wife, and a mother. 2. Praise the Lord!Praise God in his sanctuary;praise him in his mighty heavens!Praise him for his mighty deeds;praise him according to his excellent greatness!Praise him with trumpet sound;praise him with lute and harp!Praise him with tambourine and dance;praise him with strings and pipe!Praise him with sounding cymbals;praise him with loud clashing cymbals!Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!Praise the Lord! The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is about the faithfulness of God, and what it means to live by faith. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.". However, in the book of Samuel, we find a passage, where it is evident that Davids state of gratitude went beyond what his words expressed, and far above his wifes contempt, he would always praise God. Deborah was a great example of this. True joy and peace dont originate with us, but come to us as the gifts and fruit of Gods grace. When you need to find words of praise on those hard days when your heart is heavy and its a struggle to see the blessings, lean on words of praise from the Bible. Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Are you facing battles in your life? 7 Bible Characters Who Heard God's Voice And Were Loyal To Him In the bible, we can find 7 biblical characters who had a close relationship with God, listened to his voice, and followed his commands. There is power in the flow of the Spirit! We may feel like no one understands or cares about what we are going through. Check out these 5 Bible characters that faced many failures, but still came out successful next to Jesus. B. Only one returned to Jesus to thank him. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king. (Esther 4:11). What Is the Difference Between Prophetic Words and the Word of God? If we cant praise him for our circumstances, we can praise him in spite of them. Throughout the biblical story, God is portrayed as being faithful. We can all learn from her courage to act despite our fears during times of trouble. Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest and as they did, all ten were healed. However, those same slaves of whom you speak will honor me. Faith in God brings comfort and cheer, even in the midst of stress and crushing difficulties. There honestly isnt a lot of information about her but her mark in the Bible is significant. But Mordecai wanted to help her see that the impact she was capable of having was greater than the risk. However, I noticed that if I participated in teasing others with them, they would befriend me. One night, while in the temple, Hannah prayed fervently for a child, so much so that the priest Eli thought she was drunk. Our vulnerable prayers unlock a deeper level of intimacy with God. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. For the past few years my spouse and I have been trying to start a family. Where is God when it really hurts? No matter how many tactics Naomi used to keep her at a distance, Ruth stood her ground. I will exalt you, Lord,for you lifted me out of the depthsand did not let my enemies gloat over me.Lord my God, I called to you for help,and you healed me.You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;you spared me from going down to the pit.Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;praise his holy name.

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