Praise God Anyway

I don't know about you, but these last months of 2005 have been trying for me. It feels like I was operating more under Murphy's law than I was under an open heaven. Now I know that God has been with me throughout the year. I know that it was He who has provided for me and kept the devourer from shutting down my electricity. I know that it was God who kept the loan officers from foreclosing on my home, and I know that it was God who gave me the strength to make it through every single day. I am not nullifying the fact that I have lived Matthew 6:33 in living color!

Matthew 6:33 says to seek ye first the Kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you. In context, what God is saying through that verse is that we don't have to worry about what to eat or what to wear. We don't have to worry about our basic provisions. As a matter of fact, here is where Jesus is teaching the disciples that worry won't do them any good anyway so there is no use in worrying. He tells them and us that not one of us can add a single hour to our lives by worrying. Amen. He goes on to mention that tomorrow is sure to come with enough problems of its own so we need not worry about tomorrow. How about that?

Well, back to what I was saying at the beginning of this blog. I have been tested in the area of these scriptures. I have had to literally practice what I preach. Talk about wanting to scream. I have been pressed and pushed and tried and tested. I have been through the storm and through the fire. I have been spiritually tested and I have been financially broke, I mean down to my last dollar. But the good news is that through it all, I never got to the point where I was spiritually busted. Amen.

You see, I have never been to this point before, but I've been close and my reaction was not always good. It has been a habit of mine to worry, moan, grumble and complain. Then I would roll up my sleeves and do something to try to fix the whole mess. When that didn't work, I would blame my husband, my mother, my father, my kids, the dog, the cat, (the last two of which I do not have) anybody that got in the way would take the blame for the fact that I was going through.

But as you may already know that was not the appropriate response. What God wants us to do when our backs are up against the wall is to look to Him for guidance, provision and peace. He wants us to praise Him anyway. Praise God in the middle of your storm. He has already figured the end out. Praise Him anyway and watch Him see you through.

This particular story ends well. I kept praising God in the middle of my financial distress. I asked Him what to do. I considered going out and working for someone else, but in my spirit, I knew that wasn't the answer since my plate is full with my own business and the ministry. One morning the answer was dropped into my spririt. You see, God had already set us up. The answer was right under my nose. You see, I was able to use the equity in my home to pay off the debt and set myself up with a financial plan for the future so that I would not find myself in this situation again. I also learned a good lesson about financial stewardship and the use of credit cards. They can be a trap you know. Use credit cards wisely. Use them only if you can pay off the balance every month. So now I have a fresh slate and a new start as well as some money in the bank. Amen and hallelujah!

So, whatever you're going through. No matter what your storm looks like, praise God anyway. There is an answer that will be provided through your prayers and your praise. You may have to switch jobs, refi your home, go to marital counseling, spend more time with your children, go on a nutritional program, take medication for a short period, bite your tongue, revamp your marketing program for your business, network with more people, spend less money, sow a financial seed. Whatever it is that you need, look to God in gratitude, not mumbling or complaining that things are not going your way, but praising God anyway because you know that He is going to bring you through.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Lean not on your own understanding, but consider the Lord in all of your ways and He will make your paths straight.