God Brings Us Out of Our Distresses
Every day brings another difficulty. Systems that always worked before, fail. People we could depend upon in life, abandon us. All the good we’ve done for others is forgotten. Our very integrity is on the line. We’ve made promises we cannot fulfill. Obligations demand our attention, but we are weary. We cannot see any end to the onslaught of trials. We beat ourselves up for mistakes we made, for decisons that led us to near-ruin. We cry out to God for direction, but feel like we are drowning in a sea of sand with no solid ground to stand upon. Where is God?
“Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107:15
Sometimes the distresses in our lives become so monumental that we are smothered by their very shadow. We hurt. We’ve done all the things we believe God wants us to do; we’ve lived a life of integrity and honesty. We’ve given Him access to our lives and used our material things to bring honor and glory to Him. Yet the circumstances of life have beaten us down. We question our every decision; we analyze our motives and intentions. We scrutinize our every move and wonder where we could have done something differently. Where do we go for relief from the distresses the world has brought upon us?
“Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivers them out of their distresses. He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction. Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!” Ps. 107:19-21.
We cannot praise God for His goodness when we question the drought He allows in our lives. We cannot trust God when we rely on ourselves to get us through the desert sands. Our praise is a clarion call. Our praise shows God we rely on Him no matter what befalls us. Our praise lifts our blinded eyes to the hills from whence cometh our help. Our confession of self-reliance, of pride, of anger and bitterness, opens the floodgates of heaven and releases the rain God is ready to pour down upon His devoted ones.
“And let them sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!” Ps. 107:22
It is a sacrifice for those broken beneath of load to lift weary heads and weakened arms to the Father for all He is and all He has been. I know. I’ve been there. When we get to the end of our strength, and use what is left to praise the Lord, God meets us and lifts us out of the distresses. He empowers us–refreshes and restores us. When we are grateful for the strength left to praise Him in our darkest hours, He lights a lamp. “Oh, that men would praise the Lord.”
© Hariette Petersen, SelahV Today, 2010
Great article, one of the best I have read so far on the subject. “We cannot praise God for His goodness when we question the drought He allows in our lives.” is a great quote from this article. Reminds me of Job 2:10 ” … Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
Thank you for this article Hariette, and God Bless everyone.
Thanks Trevor, I spend a lot of time studying Job. He and I have become great buds in the past five years especially. God bless you, too. And thanks for taking time to comment.
Good reminder. It is so easy to focus only on the negative when were in trials. Thank you for reminding me that we are to praise God instead. I know that is a way to much strength, yet I forget so easily.
Bill, I’m afraid we all get a bit absent-minded when it comes to praising God when our comfort and security are involved. God is forever bringing me back to Himself and pouring out all the more grace upon me as I come back to His feet. Thanks for commenting. selahV
Thanks so much for posting this. It has spoken so much to me and my life. I have been questioning God about many things lately. Things I dont understand in my life…various dead ends I have encountered. Like you said, I keep trying to figure out where I went wrong, what wrong path I took that might have altered the course of my life. But I think I just have to weather out this storm until the sun comes out and offer up my sacrifices of praise to the Lord.
Thank you for this, exactly what I needed today, this is where i’m living at present. He indeed, is the lifter of my head. Blessings.
Leslie, You are welcome, and know that I am praying for you. May God give you the strength to deal what comes your way and fill your heart with the joy of His presence. May all doubts be lifted as your requests are made to the Father and hope be yours through His wonderful grace. hariette
Mesalay, My heart goes out to you. I found this response to my post only today and wish I’d been able to respond sooner. I am praying for you that God moves in your life and gives you wisdom and comfort. I pray you find in Him the peace this old world wants to destroy. One thing to remember is that the sun is always shining. Clouds may cover it, but behind the clouds the sun is there, and the SON is always with you even when circumstances tell you He is not. God bless you. hariette
Oh! Thank you so much,this post has really relief me,becouse this is exactly what i was going through but after i read the qoute i find it every reason to praise Him nomatter what circumstances
you are so welcome. praising the Lord for helping you praise Him all the more. May your love increase each day as He loves you so much. hariette