Pain and Praise

Trials. They are a fact of life. They are promised in Scripture. I even listened to a sermon recently that stated that we should not only expect them, but seek them so that we may "know Him and share in His sufferings."

I don't know about you, but I find trials hard. My intial reaction to hardship is to do anything to make the pain stop. To either try to change the circumstances on my own or beg God to change them.

Over the years, I have been learning that God usually doesn't change my circumstances until He changes me.

Trials lead me to pray. And pray. And pray. My prayers don't change God's plan, but when I get up from my knees I find myself changed. My perspective is more on God and His character instead of infallible men and the pain in my circumstances after I have spent time pouring out my heart to Him and diving into Scripture. It works best when I read, pray, read, pray.

Sadly, I will have to say that my natural response to pain in a trial is to grumble and complain. Sometimes that grumbling is to other people. Sometimes it is even toward God. Then again, isn't ALL grumbling ultimately against God?

As I read Psalm 71 this morning, I was very convicted and challenged by the clear instructions on how to live in the midst of trials, specifically how to use my mouth.

The Psalmist find himself in the middle of difficult times. We see this from the following verses:

"My praise is continually of You." (vs. 6b)

"My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day." (vs. 8)

"But I will hope continually and will praise You yet more and more." (vs. 14)

"My mouth will tell of Your righteous acts, of Your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of Your righteousness, Yours alone." (vv. 15-16) **Notice: I am not reminding anyone of my own righteousness. I am reminding them of God's. Ouch!

"O God, from my youth You have taught me, and I still proclaim Your wondrous deeds." (vs. 17)

"....until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come." (vs. 18b)

"I will also praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; my soul also, which You have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of Your righteous help all the day long....." (vs. 22-24a) **Notice: If I can't find anything else to praise God about, I can always praise Him for redeeming my soul! What a thought!

So after reading this Psalm, I have clear instructions straight from God on what to do with my mouth during difficult, painful times. Right now I find myself in a pretty painful stage of life. It hurts. I cry. I pour my heart out to God. My only hope and comfort right now is time spent in the Word. That is not a bad thing.

But my mouth should ONLY be pouring forth praise, praise to Him Who is the Sovereign Ruler over all. There is no place for grumbling or complaining. No matter what the pain, there is no room for slander and gossip.

For me that means, I have to stop looking at myself, my pain, and look up to HIM. Only He alone, looking into His face, can heal my pain and carry me through.

And no amount of pain ever gives me the license to sin. It doesn't matter what another person has done to me, the call from God is the same: glorify Me! There are no qualifiers within this command which is found all through Scripture.

O God, help me to honor You in all situations, in every circumstance. Show me how to praise You in the middle of the pain in my heart. May others see Christ in how I respond to these trials, no matter how long they last.

I pray that my praise will also edify others in the body of Christ. There have been others during this time who have shown me, by their lives and their mouths, how to live this praise instruction out even though in pain. I thank the Lord for them and pray I can be one of those "edifiers" in the body, as well.

And, Lord, forgive the many times I have chosen to gossip and grumble in the midst of my pain. It is always a response that comes from a prideful, self-focus. It is a reflection of my lack of faith.

Pain is brought into my life to give me opportunities to praise and honor You. Please help me accomplish that goal. Only You can do this in me. Give me great faith in You, my great big God!

I wait for You.

And while I wait,
I will praise You and Your mighty works.