Are you grateful that you serve a God that is not dead, but he is alive? I want to give you two reasons to praise God today.
If you’re doing great in life, that’s cool. You can take this and put it away for a rainy day.
Or maybe you need this column today. Maybe you’re going through a really tough time, and you can’t think of a reason to praise God. I want to give you two reasons.
First of all, he’s already done more than you think he has. He is powerful. He is faithful. He is unbelievable. He’s already done more than you think he has, so you can praise him now.
Think about how you feel when you realize that something’s already been done for you — a trip’s already been planned, a meal has already been paid for, the house has already been cleaned. It’s amazing how there is an ease that comes into that situation. I want to remind you that you can praise God, because he’s already done more for you than you have given him credit for.
He’s already done more on your behalf than you have yet to see.
In your life, in this week, if you find yourself overwhelmed by the world that you’re living in, remember how faithful God’s already been. Remember how amazing he’s already been. He’s already done more than you’ve given him credit for, so you can take a breath today and realize.
“He was faithful there; he’s going to be faithful here. He’s going to be faithful over here. I can rest and praise God now, because he’s already done more than I even recognize.”
What if you just really took a breath today, and you realized that God’s hand of favor has been given? His hand of provision, from the Old Testament to the New, speaks to the fact that he is preparing a way for you in the future, fighting battles you can’t fight, making a way that you cannot make!
He’s already done so much. His hand of protection is at your back. Breathe, and realize you can praise God, because He’s already done more than you’ve given him credit for. He is faithful.
The second reason you can praise God is because he’s going to do more than you think he’s going to do. He is supernatural. This is exciting.
Maybe you need to hear this for your family. He’s going to do more than you think he’s going to do. He’s powerful. Maybe you are going through it right now, and you think you’re just trying to survive. Not only are you just going to survive, but God’s going to use you and your story to do more than you can even dream.
Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
I’ve got to think sometimes, as Christians, we’ve got to have that moment where we shake our head at the goodness of God. When we say, “Wow! He’s just done so much more than we thought He was ever going to do.”
Where does this leave you, as a Christian? You drop the seed of praise, and let the production and the fruit be on God. There are two parts to this equation. Our part is to praise the Lord. His part is to be faithful, and he will always be faithful. He can work the miracle. He can open the door. He can make a way where there seems to be no way.
But sometimes we don’t show up and do our part. We don’t plant the seed of praise, and so we don’t reap the harvest.
Maybe you need to start today. You might feel totally overwhelmed with your situation. Get on your knees and start praising God for what you do know: “God, I do know that you’re faithful. I do know, Jesus, that you died for me. I do know, Holy Spirit, that You’re empowering my life.”
That seed can produce more than you could ever imagine.
I don’t know what the future holds for Christians, but I know that there is more to come. There is more to come in your marriage, and there’s more to come in your church, and there is more to come in the dreams in your heart.
You’ve got to make the decision to say, “God, I will bring my praise to this day, no matter what. I’ll bring it to the hospital bed. I’ll bring it to the party. I’ll bring it to the funeral. I’ll bring it back to my marriage that isn’t going the way I want it to go. I will praise you because of what you’ve already done in my life, and what I know you’re going to do in the future.”
Adam Detamore is the pastor of Realife Church in Greenfield. This weekly column is written by local clergy members.
