Struggling Or Praising

​Love you all, praying for you. 
 
I just love God’s Word.  It tells you things that go together, and things that don’t - like pride and disgrace.  When pride comes, then comes disgrace, they go together.  And things that don’t go together – blessing and cursing from the same mouth.  How can this be?  Here are two things that don’t go together.  You’ll do one or the other, and if you do one, you won’t do the other.  Have you ever struggled with something?  Are you struggling or praising?  I will bless the LORD at all times, His praise will continually be in my mouth.  What makes you struggle?  Disobedience number one.  Some people struggle with temptation because they don’t reject it, they entertain it, they consider it – they struggle with things they should never even think about.  But most people struggle – when things are not going well.  When things aren’t going your way.  Why do people struggle? They expected something different than what’s happening right now.  I didn’t expect things would be this way?  I thought we’d have the answer by now, I thought we’d be further along by now.  Have you ever been waiting, for something that you thought would have happened, or would have been different?  Do you find yourself in a place you didn’t choose, or ask God for, or believed He would do things differently?   Are you struggling or praising?   You’ll do one or the other, but you won’t do both.   If you’re praising – you won’t be struggling.  It’s hard to praise and struggle.  Praise helps you see things differently, because God shows up in it.  God says consider this trial a joy, in everything give thanks, and praise Him in every circumstance.  Paul and Silas were in a bad situation.  They came to this town – expecting a revival – and instead, they got forty lashes.  And if you have ever researched the brutality of that punishment – many people died from it.  They weren’t just innocent – Paul was a Roman citizen, by birth, not by a purchase.  It was against Roman law to flog a Roman citizen without a trial.  Jews – it didn’t matter, but Roman citizens had rights.  Not only was this unfair, and unjust, it was not why they came here.  Can you imagine if Paul and Silas were struggling?  “Man, why did this happen, I can’t believe this.  It’s not fair, God why did you do this to me?”  But they weren’t struggling, they were praising, thankful to be suffering for the cause of Christ.  Thankful for the promise and goodness of God.  When there was no skin left on their backs, and they were locked hand and foot in stocks, in a dungeon prison cell, shivering, with rats running around, no food and no water.  They didn’t waste time struggling – they decided to praise, and everyone was listening.  They had never heard of such a thing!  If Paul and Silas were struggling, they would have never seen the miracle of God.  They would just keep struggling.  When you are struggling, you completely miss the purpose for which God put you here - in the waiting, or in the predicament you would never have chosen – if it was up to you.  Paul & Silas refused to struggle, they chose to praise – and as they were praising, God inhabited their praise.  God was moving!  He sent an earthquake – the chains fell off, and the prison doors flew open, and the jailer and his whole family came to faith in Christ.  Wherever you are – especially if you’re not where you want to be right now -   you will struggle, or you will praise.  And one will prevent the other.  If you’re struggling, it’s because you’re not praising, and if you’re praising you won’t be struggling – cause you’re about to see what God will do – and things could get a little crazy!  Multiple professional athletes share that an injury they suffered, was in fact the best thing that could have happened to them.  Not only did they develop the resolve and diligence to come back stronger, but when they physically could not work out, they had the opportunity to develop other things!  They worked out their mind.  They learned the play book inside and out, they researched and discovered ways to increase their effectiveness – which would never have happened, had they not gotten injured.  Do you find yourself in a less than preferred circumstance right now?  You have a choice… You will struggle, or you will praise.  One leads to death, the other leads to life.  One is God’s way, one is man’s way.  Have you ever thought to ask God – what He has for you in this situation?  More time with Him?  More time in His Word? So you gain wisdom and power for what God has coming next in your life…   If you’re in the hospital, you can watch soap opera’s or you can grow stronger in His Word – the Word that will heal you, grow your faith, give you wisdom, and bring you life! And life to those around you…  If you’re struggling instead of praising, you’re missing what God has for you.  And it’s important!  If you’re struggling, you’ll never feel the ground shake, or the chains fall, or see the doors open, that only comes if you’re praising. Praying that you will ask God what He has for you in this situation.  In this season, short or long, comfortable or uncomfortable – and that you would pursue it with all your heart.  God may have you here, to change your life forever!  Praying that you will use this time to pursue His Presence, and His Word like never before, so you receive what God put you here for!  Praying that you will choose praise, not struggle, so you get what God has for you – so you see what God can do! 
 
Love you all,
dad