Praise You In This Storm

Wednesday Nights at Calvary Virginia Beach

Tonight, has been a night of Praise. Our Praise is a larger part of our overall worship. I invite you to the Wednesday night bible studies and activities here @CVB. We have Digging Deeper/Real Talk with Cindy, Big D (Damien) and JD here in the sanctuary. We have ministry and activites for our children and youth out in the back of the building and in the back parking lot and we have another bible study, at this point unnamed, where we will be looking a portion of Acts 13. That class utilizes a multi-teacher format, and this month I am leading with a LOT of help from my friends, Pastor Jonathan, Pastor Dennis, Bro. Kenny, and everyone else in attendance as it is designed as an open discussion. We will get as far as we get, some nights an entire chapter, sometimes only a handful of versions. There is a power in our diversity and insight, and it is a place for us all to share and grow.

Worship = Prayer, Praise, Reading and Hearing the Word

This coming Wednesday night we will be starting with Acts 13:14-31 and the title of that section of Study is Worship = Praise, Prayer, Reading and Hearing the word.

Tonight, we are going to do all of that. We have had a quick prayer, there is more coming. We have lifted our voices to God in praise and now for a few minutes we are going to look at God’s Word.

I want us to talk about Praise: Specifically Praising God in the Storm – Praising when we do not feel like it, because of the trails and difficulties of life.

Praise Should Be Easy! (Hint, it usually isn’t!!)

Praise should be easy – but praise is actually hard

As I have studied and listened to God, read the word and even as I listened to Billy Graham and other sermons on XM radio a recuring theme kept repeating (I am fairly sure that statement was redundant). Trails and difficulties can pull us closer to God and can be from God to remind us of who He is and His power.

Praise in our everyday successes can get overlooked because of our human nature. We can exalt ourselves and lose the focus of who should be getting the glory!

We will often praise on the mountaintop, but we should not have to have everything in just the right place to lift our voice.

Praise should be every day, everywhere, all the time and in the midst of anything!

I want to share a great quote, actually a text message that I received this week as I was struggling to discern what the message would be tonight. This text is from an amazing person that helps me though so very much of my life:

““What about praising Him in the storm, being grateful for the trials and hardships in life, because it is Him trying (to bring) you back to Him and Him being your rock to lean on. Worshiping even when you don’t feel like you have the ability to find a reason to worship.

Worship is an order, a command, an instruction from God, and it is a choice that He gives us, but it is also something that can refocus our thought processes from the mundane things of life, from the things that are stressful and causing worry, back to the person, the God who can calm the storms and release the stresses of life and can be your refuge and can lighten your load, but we have to choose.” - Amy Keillor

That text message should give you a little bit of insight into the heart of the woman that I am honored and privileged to be married to. I know that I am a lucky man. I do want to deviate for just a minute....

Amy and I have been married for 29 years, we have a deep love and devotion for each other. We also have a twisted sense of humor, and we pick at each other constantly. We have learned over the years where our lines are, and we do not cross them. There have been those that have seen our banter, and me rolling my eyes and they may think that Amy is respectful of me as her husband. That could not be further from the truth. Now, this may be something that Amy and I must learn to temper as we, together, move into the next step of our lives, but make no mistake. I love her, she loves me, and we honor and respect each other in all that we say and do.

Okay, back to the message....

It is one thing for me to get up here and show a text message, spout platitudes, or even show a Christian music video on the topic, but it is something else much more important and much more in depth if I can show you in the Bible where God says to Praise. And to praise Him no matter what! Reading and Hearing the Word is also part of our overall worship!

Praise Him when were are in Danger, Trials and Discomfort

New Living Translation Chapter 31

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.

New Living Translation Psalm 18

3 I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,

and he saved me from my enemies.

New Living Translation Psalm 23

Even when I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

protect and comfort me.

5 You prepare a feast for me

in the presence of my enemies.

You honor me by anointing my head with oil.

My cup overflows with blessings.

6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me

all the days of my life,

and I will live in the house of the LORD

forever.

New Living Translation (Psalm 27)

4 The one thing I ask of the LORD—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. 5 For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary.He will place me out of reach on a high rock.

New Living Translation (Chapter 43)

2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Praise Him Always

Psalm 34:1 NLT

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

New Living Translation (Psalm 119)

164 I will praise you seven times a daybecause all your regulations are just.

Praise Him for Comfort

New Living Translation (Psalm 42)

5 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and (6) my God

Two interesting things: Psalm 42:11, depending on the translation is exactly the same as Psalm 42:5. There is ton of information on LOGOS and many possible explanations. I will defer to the Cindy, Damien and JD for the time being, until I can do more research on my own, but my initial thought it that it is just so important, it had to be repeated! My challenge to you is to go check it out and tell me what you think.

Now another interesting thing to consider.... As I was reading those verses, it prompted a memory. It took me a while to figure out what it was. First it was a couple of words and then it was a tune. The words don’t line up exactly, but the theme is the same.

Why should I feel discouraged, Why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, And long for heav’n and home;

When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is he;

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear, And resting on his goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, And I know he watches me.

Old, wonderful, timeless gospel songs, rooted in the Bible.... something else you can go listen to...

New Living Translation Psalm 46

Be still, and know that I am God!

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Microsoft editor dings my score for the comma in that verse. But English grammar corrections by Artificial Intelligence does not capture the depth of that verse. Without the comma it is a single command. Be still and know that I am God. There is power to that statement, but it isn’t complete.

BE STILL!

Know that I am God.

Do not be in such a hurry. Let God do things in His time. Two commands. Each has amazing power

Why can we Praise in the Storm? Why can we Be Still, and trust in Him. Because He tells us to do so!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”John 14:27 ESV

God will give us peace in trials and tribulations. We have to search for Him. We have to choose to Praise Him in the Storm, to lift our voice, when we do not want to, to reach for the Heavens when we think all is lost. God has a plan! We do not always understand it. Why did James die as a martyr

and why was Peter spared through a miraculous, angelic intervention? Peter does eventually die a martyr, he was not spared death, but he was spared death at that moment because God still had work for him to do. Know that no matter what is going on, God know about that moment, that pain, that anguish, that difficulty that you are going through. You are not alone. Remember Duet 31:6.

How to Praise – Loudly!!!

24. Psalm 150:1-6

“Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

A Final Encouragement

“You are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 John 2: 14