When Christians face storms in life, how are we supposed to respond? What are we supposed to do? In the previous three posts, we’ve said that we should pray and we should trust. There’s something else we can do as well, and it may not be the first thing that comes to mind. When we’re going through a difficult time, we should worship.
At first that doesn’t make very much sense. We’re in the middle of a trial, we’re scared or devastated or worried, and we’re supposed to worship? I’m spending all my time begging God to stop this storm – when would I have time to worship?
Let’s pause for a moment so I can define what I’m talking about when I use the word “worship.” Our minds probably go straight to visions of people singing, shouting, maybe even raising their hands, or whatever it is that you usually do when you “worship,” especially in a “worship” service. But in this post, I’m defining worship as “celebrating God for who he is and for what he’s done.”
Think about who God is – the all-knowing, all-powerful, loving, forgiving, patient, just, perfectly holy, sovereign Creator of all that is. You can add to that list, but the point is to spend time thinking about all that God is and write it down.
Now think about all that God has done for you. Only you know what all would be on your list, but it could range from the very basics of life to some really incredible things that you’ve seen God do in your life. Stop for a moment and make a list of the things God has done for you.
If right now you can’t see through your fear and pain and worry to see the blessings he’s given you, then at least know that God loves you so much that he provided a way for you to have a relationship with him. He gave his Son who died for your sins and rose from the dead so that you can have a relationship with him that lasts for all eternity.
Now that you’re thinking about who God is and what he’s done for you, it’s probably easier to see how we can worship him even in the middle of a storm. When we can’t see what God is doing behind the scenes, when it feels like he’s nowhere to be found, when we can’t see how he could possibly be working in our circumstances, we can still worship him for who he is and for what he’s already done. Don’t wait until the end of the storm to worship, go ahead and worship God in the middle of your story.
In the Bible, Daniel was a godly young man from Judah who was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 605 BC. The entire nation of Judah was experiencing God’s judgment, and good people like Daniel were suffering the consequences along with everyone else. Daniel was forcibly taken away from everything he knew and forced to move to Babylon to serve an evil, ungodly king.
One night the king had a dream that really worried him, so he asked his advisors to tell him what the dream meant. But he had some doubts about his advisors, so instead of telling them the dream, the king demanded that they first tell him what the dream was, and then tell him the meaning of the dream.
The advisors were obviously taken aback by this. They responded, “If you’ll tell us the dream we’ll be glad to tell you the meaning.” But Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t playing around, and here’s where we pick up our story, as he says:
“If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.” (Daniel 2:5-6).
Not much pressure there! Of course the advisors can’t tell the king the dream, and they explain once again that if the king will just tell them the dream, they can interpret it. This conversation goes back and forth until finally Nebuchadnezzar gets so angry that he sentences all of his advisors to death.
The problem is that when he says all of his advisors, he means all of them, and this includes Daniel and his friends. These people had been taken captive and trained in the ways of Babylon, and now, just because no one can tell this lunatic king what his dream was, they’re about to be executed. So they respond in the only way they know how: they pray.
That night God answers their prayers and reveals to Daniel both Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its interpretation. So what does Daniel do in response?
He worships!
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power; you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king.” (Daniel 2:20-23)
God comes through for Daniel, and Daniel’s first response, his automatic response, is to praise God for who he is and for what he’s done.
Keep in mind, though, that Daniel is still in the middle of this story. He can’t look down to the end of the chapter to see how this all turns out. Sure, Daniel has the information the king had asked for, but he and his friends are still under a death sentence. They could very well be executed before Daniel even gets a chance to talk to the king. He doesn’t know the end of the story, but he worships anyway.
When you’re going through a storm, make sure you pause, in the middle of all of the fear and worry and exhaustion, and worship. We don’t know how this coronavirus story will end, but in the middle of this story, we can pray, we can trust, and we can worship.
Each day, carve out a specific time and choose a specific place to get alone with God and praise him for who he is and thank him for what he’s done.
Write down every characteristic of God you can recall. Focus on one of those characteristics each day.
Write down all the things that God has done for you and all the times he’s come through for you. Focus on one of these each day and thank him for it.
Listen to the music that best helps you connect to God. Sing to God, either silently or out loud, (depending on who all can hear you and what it sounds like!), but lose yourself in worship to your loving Father.
In the middle of this story, without knowing how it will end, stop and worship. When you do, your problems will feel a little smaller, your God will feel a little bigger, and a little bit of your fear will fall away.
Don’t come to God so much to get strength and courage and comfort, but come before God to give him what he deserves: thanksgiving, praise, and celebration. Make it all about him. Put all of your focus on your Father. If you’ll do that, I promise you, you’ll receive all the strength and courage and comfort you need to get through another day.
LOVE this!!! We can also thank Him for what we trust He’s doing even though we can’t see it yet.