G-et into God's Word
Psalm 42:1-11
'As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?" My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?" Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.'
R-eflect into God's Word
Others say it's hard to praise God when you are in the midst of your suffering.
Yes for those who haven't experienced God's presence but for those who faithfully follow God, there isn't.
I remember Tatay Pastor. A Pastor and a Husband of Nanay Tilde, our senior deaconess in church. We are all witnesses of Tatay Pastor's medication for his illness - the 'Parkinsons disease'. We see how it all affects in their lives, how their ministry went down, and how their regular daily lives become in pain.
But Tatay Pastor's illness and Nanay Tilde's pain doesn't show discouragement. Their lives were an encouragement and an inspiration for how their lives changed even by Tatay's illness but they never fail to serve and praise God.
One time, we had our prayer meeting at their home, we witness Tatay Pastor's illness attack, But in his situation we heard him singing, clapping, and praising God. How heart-melting. I've felt like I want to cry and utter a prayer, 'Lord, I pray I had a heart like tatay pastor's that even in sickness and pain, I still praise you'
Psalm 42, has this the same act as Tatay Pastor. He is quenching for healing (v.1-2), he is sad (v.3), his pain swept over him (v.7), He felt abandoned by God (v.9).
Maybe Tatay Pastor ask God or never ask Him why he is in that situation and why He give that illness to Him. We never know. But all we know is He keeps praising amidst what He is suffering.
Nanay Tilde's one more story about Tatay Pastor was the time when he is about to go with the Lord, she found Him kneeled down and smiling, quiet and at peace. HE IS PRAYING. His quiet cling to the Lord brings us encouragement and we see how he is satisfied to go with the Lord and peacefully leaving Nanay Tilde. While Nanay Tilde told us that she is not that in sadness because of Tatay Pastor's example of faith.
For sure, Tatay Pastor's had faith like a mustard seed that even in his sickness, he found praising the Lord.
O-bey to Transform
Think and ask yourselves, when is the time I praise God even when I am in pain? are there times like that? if that time comes, should I still praise God? Meditate on your own and let's be obedient, let us take our whole life as the opportunity to trust and have faith in God. So that, like Tatay Pastor's we found ourselves praising even we are on hardest moments.
W-restle in Prayer
Ask God that even on our suffering times, have a heart not to ask Him but praise Him.
#WeCanRestInGod
#PraisingAmidstOfSuffering
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https://my.bible.com/bible/111/PSA.42.1-11
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Daily Bread
SpiritualBegin and end your day with God and you'll have the strength to endure everything in-between.
