Praise God in the Circumstance

Let’s go back to Psalm 32 and take a look at verses 6–9, again in the New King James Version:

For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters

They shall not come near him.
You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.

Here we see the praise of David in verses 6–7, a heavenly promise of guidance in verse 8, followed by a warning from David’s experience in verse 9. When everything goes wrong in your life, praise God in it—not for it. His worthiness of praise has absolutely no attachment to your feelings or personal circumstances. In the flood, in the fire, in the darkest night, God is worthy of praise. When everything goes wrong in your life, join your voice with the psalmist’s and say, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence” (Ps. 42:5, NASB).

The Lord responded to David’s praise with a promise of guidance, “I will instruct and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye”; and David then warned the reader not to be like a horse or a mule. A mule, as you know, is generally regarded as one of the most stubborn of all animals. So, in this Scripture passage, David is saying to praise God in your circumstance, look for His guidance, and be teachable to receive it. That’s a much better strategy than allowing Satan to exploit your pain and keep the wound fresh through blaming and bitterness.

Excerpt from “Happily… Even After” now available on Amazon.

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BARRY STAGNER