Several years ago, I had a shoulder injury. I’m not sure how I did it, but it was very painful to the point that I went to the doctor (those who know me well know it was bad for me to see a doctor). Every morning, it hurt to put on my shirt and putting on a jacket 🧥 was almost unbearable. I certainly couldn’t leave the house without a shirt, and I knew I needed a jacket to protect me from the cold and wind.
So each day, even though I didn’t feel like it and even though it hurt, I put them on anyway. Throughout the years, I’ve found that sometimes I also have to bear the pain to put on the ‘Garment of Praise”. There are days when I don’t necessarily feel like praising the Lord. There are days when there has been so much pain and I’ve been through so much that putting on the Garment of Praise seems almost unbearable. Have you ever been there?
But there are benefits that come through praise that ease the pain. Just as my jacket protected me from the cold and wind, my Garment of Praise protects me from the storms of life. You may be bearing the pain of a debilitating illness or disease. Put on the Garment of Praise! You may be under the pain of financial distress. Put on the Garment of Praise! You may be dealing with the loss of a loved one. Put on the Garment of Praise! Your pain may be the hurt of a wayward child. Put on the Garment of Praise! Your pain may be guilt of sin, regret from past failures, or feelings of unworthiness. Put on the Garment of Praise!
Looking at your circumstances and situations may make you think there is nothing you can praise the Lord for. Even in times like that, we can still offer up a sacrifice of praise for God’s great gift of salvation through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! If we can just begin to praise the Lord, through our pain, we shift our focus from our situations to Him. Through our praise, we usher in the Presence of the Lord, and in His Presence, there is fullness of joy. He showers us with peace and His grace covers and strengthens us.
As we praise Him, we trust His grace to be sufficient and know that even if our situation doesn’t change and work out the way we want it to, His grace will carry us through and give us strength. Today, I encourage you, to start praising Him even in the midst of hurt and trouble and watch His response!!
Isaiah 61:3 ….to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…
Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!!
Psalm 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou, that inhabitest the praises of Israel!
Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy. At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 140:13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name: the upright shall dwell in Your presence.
Psalm 34:13 I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You.
2 Corinthians 12:9a And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
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