Praise to God, Remedy in Peril

No one stays happy all the time. No one has smooth sailing all the time. Even for the strongest of believers, there come moments of doubts, fears, narrow places, sleepless nights, stress, and uncertainty.

Psalm 9:1-2 gives the antidote--praise to God! Psalm 9:1...I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

The psalm tells me to really throw myself into praise of God, either publicly or in private--with all my heart, wholeheartedly, enthusiastically. I am to be glad and rejoice in God's praises. That would include telling God of all His past wonders in my life. As I lie on my bed or drive in my car, I can recount in my mind my history with God and all the times He saved me from the muck and the mire of my life. I can look around me and begin thanking Him for all His blessings: perhaps the warm bed I am lying in; perhaps the roof over my head; perhaps the food in my stomach; perhaps simply that I am alive one more day. Anyone who is even alive has that for which to thank and praise God.

What will be the outcome of even thirty minutes of praise to God? Psalm 9:3 My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. My enemies aren't so much people, although sometimes that is the case. But more often, my enemies are the fearful shadows in my own heart, the dark areas of my own life, memories of a past which rise up to accuse me, emotions run amuck. These are my greatest enemies. But these are the enemies that turn back, stumble, and perish before the God of wonders, as I praise and thank Him in my heart.

God promises great blessings to those who praise His name in times of trial: Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

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Father, I can say, "Amen!" with the psalmist in verse 10. I can verify that You, Lord, have never forsaken me. You have always rescued me and brought me out of the slump into the land of sunshine. Thank-You, so much, dear Lord. Help me, Lord, always to turn to You with praise and thanksgiving in my heart whenever I am feeling low and afraid. In Jesus' name, Amen.