In the past I would stay confident that God would take me through a difficult circumstance and when He did, I would worship and thank Him. But I am learning in this season of my life that it is better to worship Him in the middle of the storm. There may be no breakthrough, no end to the pain of our circumstances, no indication of the miracle we are hoping for, but while we wait in the storm, it is better to worship.
God is worth it!
That’s one of the greatest challenges to our faith. Will we still love and worship a God, that we don’t always understand? Will we still love Him when all hell breaks loose. In moments of profound disappointment and pain the enemy loves to make us question God’s love for us.
It is not whether you survive the circumstances in your life, but whether your FAITH survives the circumstances.
I want to encourage you today that if you are fighting the fight of faith in difficult circumstances, holding on while a storm buffets your life – lift up your head, your heart, and your hands to the Lord and worship your way through it. He will hold you as you worship. I speak from personal experience as I have just recently spent many an early morning hour holding on in worship as I praise Him in the storm.
In Acts 16:22-33, Paul and Silas knew this principle. Tied up in prison after being stripped, beaten and severely flogged, not knowing what will happen next, in verse 25 “…Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…”
This is what I have learnt about worship in the storm:
- Worship doesn’t ask God “why?”. It trusts God, glorifies God and assumes God is in control and chooses to understand His power, His purpose and His will. Job simply tore his robe, shaved his head and fell down on the ground and worshipped. (Job 1:20)
- Worship reframes our problems with God and refocuses our lives on Him. It helps us get a new perspective on what we are going through. The Israelites were living in Egypt oppressed and suffering in slavery. They had cried out to God, and they thought they were forgotten. Then when Moses told them the words of God, it reframed their situation in Exodus 4:29-31, refocusing their lives on God and “when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshipped.” Everything looks different when you remember that God loves you, is in control and worship reminds you of that.
- When we worship the supernatural comes into play in our lives. Worship was a breakthrough for Paul and Silas and everyone in the prison and worship is our breakthrough too. Worship changes the spiritual atmosphere around us and releases the power of God in our lives. Worship brings God’s rule in heaven to rule in our lives here on earth. Want a breakthrough? Worship in the storm.
Worship takes my focus off me and forces me to focus on God. When my emotions overwhelm me and my thoughts hound me, worship focuses me on God. In worship I no longer talk about what is wrong with my life, but instead sing and talk about everything that is right with God. I get to bless the Lord with my mouth, be thankful and usher myself into His presence. We often forget that God has compassion on us when we are going through difficult circumstances. Even though Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus in John 11, he still demonstrated compassion and understanding when Martha and Mary came to Him with their pain. In verse 33 “he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” We often forget that God sees us, He hears us and knows the pain of our hearts. Worship reminds us that He was “a man of suffering and familiar with pain.” (Isaiah 53:3) He gets it.- Worship lifts my spirit. When I was discouraged and downtrodden before worship, worship somehow does in my spirit what I cannot do for myself. It infuses me with courage, faith, strength and even though I was miserable when I started worshiping, I end with courage in the face of the storm. I end up being willing to wait for the Lord to come into my circumstances and do the impossible.
I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for and confidently expect the Lord. (Psalm 27:13-14 AMP)
- Just like Paul and Silas had the whole prison, including the guards listening, there is always people watching as worship in the storm. Worship can impact the people who are around you while you worship. They are listening what comes out of your mouth and watching how you whether the storm. As you worship through the storm, they worship with you or at least consider your worship and how it relates to their own life.
Dear Heart Treasure friend, if you are in circumstances today that are challenging your faith, worship through the storm.
Lord all glory goes to You, who is able to keep me from falling away in unbelief. You will bring me through this with great joy, ushering me into Your glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to You who alone is God, my Savior through Jesus Christ my Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority were Yours before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! I will put my trust in You for you are worthy of my worship no matter what storm I am in.
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