I'm sure many of you are familiar with the quote, "If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it." And yes, it does sound really good and will preach quite well.
However, when God brings me to "it", even with knowing He'll bring me through, I don't want to go through the "it". I want to immediately be through with the "it".
Nobody likes to go through the "its" of life. Because when you are right there in the midst of the "it", the fire and flames are real. The heat is hot and the smoke seems to overtake you.
What do you do when you are brought to an "it"- when you're facing a trial or are in the midst of the test? Those are the very moments in which you have to roll up your sleeves and make a decision like the Psalmist David did.
In Psalm 42:5, we read how David had a little talk with himself.
"Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance," (Psalms 42:5 NKJV).
In the midst of the test and the trial, you have a decision to make. That's when you have to make up in your mind that, yet will I praise Him.
You must choose to offer unto God a sacrifice of praise, even when you don't feel like praising and all you really want to do is cry and complain.
It's easy in those moments of hardship to go and throw yourself across your bed, grab your pillow and cry. However, when you decide to praise instead of pout, that brings glory and honor to God. It exalts Him over the situation.
"But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God,” (Psalm 50:23, NLT).
When you can offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving in the midst of your "it", God is glorified. In doing so, you are letting Him know, that you know, that He is still God and that He is bigger than what you're facing.
Your praise is declaring to God that you believe that He is and that you believe His word.
When you praise Him in the difficult moments, you're letting Him know that your trust is in Him and in those moments that you simply can't handle, you know He's already handled it.
When you choose to exalt God over your situation, you are also making room for Him. You're making room for the weight of His glory to fall in your situation [click-to-tweet]. If you want to see and experience the glory of God, praise Him.
It happened for Paul and Silas (see Acts 16:25-34). They were beaten and imprisoned for casting a demon out of a slave girl who told fortunes for her master and made profits for them. However, when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. They were then placed in prison.
At midnight, in a dark prison cell, they began to sing and pray. The surrounding prisoners heard their hearts of praise. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake and the very foundation of the prison was shaken. All of the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.
Their praise in the prison was a sacrifice. When they offered unto God a sacrifice of praise, He was glorified. As God was glorified and enlarged in that moment, His glory filled the prison. He came and dwelt with them.
Why? Because He inhabits the praises of his people.
"But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel," (Psalms 22:3 KJV).
He comes and dwells as His people praise Him. He is enthroned in the praises of His people.
As Paul and Silas praised Him in the dark prison, with their feet bound in chains, God came and filled that place with His presence. His glory.
Ladies, when God is glorified from the inner-depth our hearts, all that He is enters into our situation.
When the earthquake hit the prison that Paul and Silas were in, it was simply God's way of making His presence known. Their situation was shaken to the very core by the presence of God when they offered unto Him a sacrifice of praise.
You may be in a difficult situation right now, but know that God wants to shake the very foundation of it. The thing that the enemy says will never be over, but be comforted by the truth that God wants to shake it. However, the shaking and the uprooting will come when you praise Him consistently and constantly.
Your praise will shake and shape your circumstance. Exalt Him and watch Him show you His salvation.
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