In the upcoming weeks, you will be hearing encouraging stories and advice from each of the girls on this team, but this week you’re stuck with me!
When I came up with the idea for Encouraging Women my main goal was for our stories to encourage others, let them know that we all have hope in Jesus, and lead them down a path to seek Him everyday and in every situation. So, we are going to jump right in. Today’s post is going to be about praising Him, even when it hurts.
It’s easy to praise God when things are going well in our lives, but it’s not so easy when we are going through a hard time. If I’m being completely honest I have definitely had moments where I find it hard to praise God especially right now with all that is going on in the world. This time has been scary and it’s been hard to see what good could come out of it, but I want to encourage you today that even during our trials and tribulations, God is still Good, He has a plan, and we should continue to praise Him and give thanks even when it hurts.
“Though the fig tree should not blossom,nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.” Habakkuk 3:17-19
Here we see Habakkuk vowing to thank the Lord, even during hard times. How can he make that promise? How can he take joy in God even when facing hardships and loss? What is it that will allow us to give thanks and praise God even when things aren’t going well? Well, I think Habakkuk gives us some great verses that gives us that answer.
1.God is Sovereign (v.19)
God is sovereign, He is in control. This should comfort us because God is good, and He will use everything in our lives, even the hard times, to glorify Him and bring us to Salvation.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
2. We are triumphant in Christ
In Christ, we are triumphant over evil in our lives. Jesus has freed us from its bondage and it will not separate us from God. (Romans 8:31-39), and when Jesus returns he will vindicate us and destroy our enemies once and for all. (Rev. 19-22)
Yes, we will face hard times, but we won’t be defeated, because God will keep us in Christ. God gives us the strength to continue in faith, and will one day conquer our enemies. Our tears will be wiped away, and death, grief, crying, and pain will be no more.(Rev. 21:4)
So, when you are having a hard time don’t run from God, but instead run towards him giving him thanks and praise for all that we have in Him. 💛