Praise: Therein Lies Your Victory

Text: Psalm 50:14-15, 23; 2 Chronicles 20:21-22

It is natural to praise God when something good happens or when everything is rosy, but it takes real sacrifice to offer praise when you have a tough problem. Then, you don’t feel like it because you are weary or you feel like God let you down. You think He is distant from you, or does not really care about what is troubling you when life has just dealt you some painful blows.

Well, here is what makes a big difference! Praising God in the time of adversity, though not a natural response, is a sure path to victory. I encourage you to praise God always, whatever your situation, because there is power in praise; therein lies your victory.

Praise invites God’s presence and paves the way for His power to be displayed in your life. King Jehoshaphat understood this quite well, and deployed the weapon of praise in the war between Judah and the combined forces of the Ammonites, Moabites and Mount Seir.

As Judah raised her voice in praise, “The Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, everyone helped to destroy another” (2 Chronicles 20:22-23).When you’re confronted with situations beyond your power and ability, sing praises to God, and He will pull you through.

The apostle Paul also experienced the power of praise in his life and ministry. When he was locked up in a Philippians jail with his companion, Silas, and throbbing with pain from the severe beating they had received from the jailors, he looked away from his predicament and praised God earnestly. God miraculously released him and Silas by opening all the prison doors through earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison (Acts 16:23-26). Miracle happens when you praise God.

Praise passed your battle over to God. It helps you place your trust in God and look away from your problem. It also makes you remember God’s great acts of the past in your life and leaves no room for you to complain and be negative. Praise lifts your faith. You cannot sincerely praise God and remain despondent and doubtful of His ability to pull you through your circumstance. As you praise God, your spirit is lifted, your anxiety dissipated, and your nerves calmed.

However, you cannot truly praise God or experience the wonders of praise except you accept Jesus as your Saviour and Lord. That means, you must confess your sins to God, ask Him to forgive you, repent of those sins, believe in Jesus, and live by the Word of God.

Praise is a potent weapon in the hand of a Christian and the pathway to victory. So, when next you are confronted with a situation that is beyond you, praise God just as Jehoshaphat, the people of Judah, Paul and Silas did when they had a tough problem. He will give you the victory you deserve.

*** Written by Pastor W.F. Kumuyi | DCLM Women Mirror ***

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The Cause Of Worry And Anxiety

Text: Mark 4:40; Matthew 8:26-27

Each time our Lord Jesus rebuked His disciples for lack of faith or for little faith, it was because they refused to consider and think logically (Matthew 8:23-26; Mark 4:35-40; Matthew 14:28-31; 16:6-11). The very cause of worry and anxiety is littleness of faith or the lack of it, and the reason for the littleness or lack of faith is the absence of proper consideration or logical thinking.

"Consider the lilies ... O ye of little faith." Our failure to consider the acts of God - His care for creatures of time, things that exist today, and are forgotten tomorrow - is the major cause of our worry and anxiety. We have both earthly dignity and eternal destiny; we have an existence beyond this life which the lilies of the field do not have. And "... if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? "

If God has done the seemingly insignificant thing, will He not do the supremely important thing? If God cares for creatures of no value, will He not care for new creatures of eternal value? If God protects and provides for unclean creatures (Matthew 6:26; 10:29-31; Job 38:41; Deuteronomy 14:12,14,19), will He not protect and provide for new clean creatures who are cleansed by the blood of His only begotten Son? Consider the acts of God and think logically on the actions and kindness of God; then, you will have faith in God. Faith will banish fear, worry and anxiety.

1.            UNNECESSARY ANXIETY OF SONS WITH LITTLE FAITH

Matthew 6:28,30; Luke 12:28; Deuteronomy 8:3,4; Nehemiah 9:21; Luke 22:35; Matthew 16:7-11; Luke 8:25; 1 Timothy 6:6-8; Luke 24:17,25; John 3:12.

"And why take ye thought for raiment? " Our Lord asks, why are you worried and anxious for clothing? Is not the body more than raiment? If God has given us our body and is feeding the body, keeping it in good health, will He not also clothe the body? If He has appointed our diet and responsibility which can only be done in a body that is appropriately clothed or dressed, will He not provide adequate and appropriate clothes for us?

Dressing is not an end by itself; it is to clothe us so we can fulfill the purpose of living. God has ordained that purpose of living. The purpose for each life on earth is important to God. That purpose must be our central concern. Dressing is not our only or main purpose of living. We are not living for the purpose of dressing; we are dressing to fulfill the purpose of living. And He who has ordained the purpose of living will supply all that is needed to fulfill the purpose.

Only unbelief or little faith can doubt that but "Consider." When we consider what God considers, little faith will give way to lively faith in our hearts and we will know and believe that He will supply all our needs to fulfill the divinely appointed purpose.

2.            UNNOTICED APPAREL OF SOLOMON AND LILIES' FRAILTY

Matthew 6:28-30; 1 Kings 4:29-31,34; 10:4-9; 2 Chronicles 9:22-24; James 1:10,11: Luke 12:27,28; Acts 12:20-23; Proverbs 4:5-9; Deuteronomy 22:5; Zephaniah 1:8; 1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Peter 3:3,4.

In the Scriptural account and record concerning Solomon, his apparel or clothing was not noticed as much as his wisdom and riches (Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31). Physical appearance and adornment were not his consuming passion. He did not have inordinate desire or carnal concern for clothing. Adequate and proper clothing is necessary but clothing without wisdom would not have helped to fulfill his calling as a king.

Solomon's mind was not set on fashion or dressing. His great request was for wisdom. "Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great " (2 Chronicles 1:10). Physical beauty is but skin-deep and the most adorned body soon loses its appeal in a few short years. The fulfilment of life's great purpose should be our highest desire.

We are also to "consider the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven." When we behold the beauty of lilies, flowers and the grass, we often forget that their loveliness quickly vanishes. Consider the frailty of the grass and remember that its destiny is the oven. Instead of being so worried and anxious about transient beauty and loveliness that soon vanish away and are forgotten, let's follow and desire "the beauty of holiness", the beauty that fadeth not away (1 Peter 1:24; 1 Chronicles 16:29).

3.            UNFAILING ASSURANCE OF SAINTS WITH LIVELY FAITH

Matthew 6:30; Luke 12:28,29; Isaiah 44:21; 49:15,16; Luke 12:6,7; Psalms 37:3-11,16-19,25-31; 84:11,12; Philippians 4:6,19; Matthew 6:8,32,33; Romans 8:32.

"O ye of little faith." Little faith creates anxiety, lively faith conquers anxiety. Little faith breeds worry, lively faith banishes worry. Little faith produces fear, lively faith prevents fear. Little faith makes us panic, lively faith makes us peaceful. Little faith fills us with cares; lively faith fills us with calm. With little faith comes anxiety and vexation of spirit, with lively faith comes assurance and victory in our soul.

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? " He will clothe us. He will not clothe us with strange apparel or forbidden dresses, He will clothe us appropriately. Will He not feed us? He will feed us. He will not feed us with "unclean" meat or "meats offered to idols" (Acts 15:29), but He will feed us with proper and appropriate food. Will He not heal our body and make us strong? He will heal us. He will not heal us with traditional and satanic powers of darkness. He will heal us in His own appointed way.

Lively faith does not doubt God. We always draw near unto God "with a true heart in full assurance of faith", knowing that "He is faithful that promised" (Hebrews 10:22,23).

*** Culled from Pastor W.F. Kumuyi Bible Study | Deeper Christian Life Ministry ***

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