If You Want to Win the War, Praise God in Hard Times

The hardest battle you will ever fight will be within yourself. Before you can win any other battle, you must first contend with your flesh– and when you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, hurt and afraid, your flesh does not want to worship. That is why you must worship! Learning to praise God in hard times will set you up for victory in every battle you ever face!

Psalm 73 is a beautiful, heartfelt cry to the Lord from the psalmist Asaph, a Levite (the Old Testament version of a worship leader) who had some very real issues he needed to deal with. And he went to the right place: on his face before God. Have you ever felt the sting of unanswered questions? If you’re going to find the answers the Lord has, you’re going to need to push past your flesh and force yourself to praise God in hard times – and be prepared to be challenged and strengthened in your faith!

There are so many things you’ll face in life that you may never encounter resolution for in the natural world, however, the Lord will reveal things to you by His Holy Spirit if you seek Him.

There are so many things you’ll face in life that you may never encounter resolution for in the natural world, however, the Lord will reveal things to you by His Holy Spirit if you seek Him. The Lord dwells within the praise of His people (Psalm 22:3) so if you need Him, get into the Word, fall down and worship and don’t leave until He speaks and those bonds are loosed! Hang on His every Word. They will be life to your dying strength.

Asaph was struggling with this: Why do the wicked seem to get away with everything, and grow richer and famous and successful and have everything handed to them while the godly seem to struggle, and toil and lose and have a life filled with troubles and hard times? Have you ever asked that!? It’s a legitimate question! Asaph ran to God with it because he couldn’t see his way forward. He was stuck in anger, despair and bitterness. He knew he needed a rhema word, a Holy Spirit-inspired “right now” word from the Lord and this is what he did: “When I thought to understand this, it was too painful for me, until I went into the sanctuary of God and then I understood…” Will life change for you? Maybe, and maybe not. The Bible calls that your “proving ground. and it’s a powerful and profound place where the Lord wants to show you two this: yourself and Himself.

Asaph was compelled to praise God in hard times not only because he loved the Lord, but because he BELIEVED the Lord. He emerged from worship with something worth more than a change in his situation. He walked out a new man, because God had given him understanding, perspective, and wisdom about the circumstances he faced. He had been bitter and jealous, he said, but once the Lord opened his eyes, here how things changed:

“Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have held me by my right hand.You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:23-26)

Thought for today: Worship Brings Breakthrough

Asaph knew his heart and his flesh would continue to fail, especially in light of the fact that, even though his understanding was deepened, the world around him had not changed at all. But he had changed. And as life continued to unfold and remained wicked and unjust and prideful and filled with mocking and ungodliness- he knew he would need to continue to lean on the Lord to strengthen his heart, and that he would need to remember that God was his treasure, his “portion”. That perspective, from the story written by Asaph’s own hand came to him by the Holy Spirit in one place: The presence of God as he worshipped.

Whatever it is you’re holding onto, fix your eyes on Jesus. If you can learn to worship when life is tough, you’ll be able to face whatever has you tripped up and stand up once again. Because of your faithfulness, He will be faithful to do the same and minister to you. Maybe life won’t change, but you will change and become more like Him- and then the real battle has been won!