Praise Is a Refuge in a Day of Trouble
by Pastor Art Johnson
On November 22, 1873, Anna Spafford stood on the deck of the French
liner S.S. Vill du Havre. As she stood there her four daughters clung
desperately to her side. This was a tragic moment for them - the ship
was sinking. History records that two hundred and twenty-six lives were
lost in this tragedy. That number included Anna's four daughters.
As they stood there, Annie, the oldest, helped her mother support
Tanetta, the youngest, who had her arms wrapped around her mother's
neck. Bessie, the second youngest, clutched her mother's knees.
Maggie, the second oldest, calmly stood beside her mother and said, "God
will take care of us." "Don't be afraid. The sea is His and He made
it." Then the water engulfed them.
Anna Spafford records that her last memory was of her baby being torn
violently from her arms by the force of the waters. A plank floated
beneath Anna's unconscious body and propelled her up. But, her
daughters were gone. Her first reaction to her loss was complete
despair. Then she heard an inner voice speak to her, "You were spared
for a purpose." Immediately she recalled the comment of a friend, "It's
easy to be grateful and good when you have so much, but take care that
you are not a fair-weather friend to God."
Anna was rescued and nine days later she reached Cardiff, Wales. From
there she cabled her husband in Chicago two fateful words: "Saved
alone."
Horatio Spafford immediately boarded a ship to join his wife in Europe.
One night the captain called Mr. Spafford to his private cabin. "A
careful reckoning has been made," he said, "and I believe we are now
passing the place where the du Havre was wrecked. The water is three
miles deep."
Horatio Spafford went back to his cabin. No doubt his heart was torn by
a thousand griefs. Yet, before that dark night had ended, near the
place where his children had perished, he penned these unforgettable
words:
"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrow like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
'It is well, it is well with my soul.'"
None one of us will go through life untouched by disappointments, hurts,
frustrations or pains. We know better. In the face of this certain
difficulty, we need to discover if there is a refuge to be found in the
midst of inevitable turmoil. Is there a place of refuge where we can be
insulated against the wilting heat of fiery tribulation? Is there a
place where you and I are enabled to face trying times with confidence
and assurance? Yes, there is such is a place! It is a place the very
person of God inhabits. It is called the "Stronghold of Praise."
Today, we need to discover the hope that comes to those who are
determined to enter into the stronghold of praise.
1. Determination to Praise in the Midst of Trouble - Psalm 22
Psalms 22:1-2 TLB) "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why do
you refuse to help me or even to listen to my groans? Day and night I
keep on weeping, crying for your help, but there is no reply--
{6-7} But I am a worm, not a man, scorned and despised by my own people
and by all mankind. Everyone who sees me mocks and sneers and shrugs.
{14-17} My strength has drained away like water, and all my bones are
out of joint. My heart melts like wax; my strength has dried up like
sun-baked clay; my tongue sticks to my mouth, for you have laid me in
the dust of death. The enemy, this gang of evil men, circles me like a
pack of dogs; they have pierced my hands and feet. I can count every
bone in my body. See these men of evil gloat and stare;
It is not at all difficult to see from these words that David is having
a bad time with life. It's one of those times when, in the words of my
father, "Life has become a rat race, and the rats are winning!" Many
Bible scholars believe David penned these words in the time when he was
running from Saul, who was desperately trying to kill David.
Have you ever felt that God had abandoned you in your hour of need?
David was certainly feeling forsaken by God. Who among us has not at
least once turned a tear-stained cheek heavenward and cried, "Where are
you God?" "Why have you abandoned me?" "God, can't you see, do even you
care?"
Yes, David was running for his life. But let's not just focus no what
he was running from. Our hope is in discovering where he was running
to. Further reading reveals he was running to God through praise.
David found comfort and hope by praising God in the midst of his trial.
{Psalm 22:22-25 TLB} I will praise you to all my brothers; I will stand
up before the congregation and testify of the wonderful things you have
done. "Praise the Lord, each one of you who fears him," I will say.
"Each of you must fear and reverence his name. Let all Israel sing his
praises, for he has not despised my cries of deep despair; he has not
turned and walked away. When I cried to him, he heard and came." Yes, I
will stand and praise you before all the people. I will publicly
fulfill my vows in the presence of all who reverence your name."
David was being victimized by circumstances beyond his control. We are
all like David in this respect. Sadly, many tend to allow their
circumstances to become prisons of doubt, pity, worry, fear and the
likes. Depression is a fruit of emotionally surrendering to your
troubles. However, praise can set your heart free from the burden of
your circumstances.
In the midst of trouble, what was David's liberating power? David
realized that God inhabits the praises of His people. In other words,
when we praise God regardless our circumstances, God comes and makes His
habitation with us! God dwells with us in the midst of our praises. Do
you see? All of a sudden David's focus was not on Saul, or running for
his life. David's focus became running to God through praise in the
midst of the trial.
For those who will discipline themselves to praise God in the midst of
adversity, there is a stronghold in which shelter may be found.
2. Determination to Praise in the Day of Victory - 2 Samuel 22:1-4
(2 Samuel 22:1-4 TLB) "David sang this song to the Lord after he had
rescued him from Saul and from all his other enemies: "Jehovah is my
rock, My fortress and my Savior. I will hide in God, Who is my rock and
my refuge. He is my shield And my salvation, My refuge and high tower.
Thank you, O my Savior, For saving me from all my enemies. I will call
upon the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised; He will save me from all my
enemies."
The events surrounding David now are far different than when he wrote
Psalm 22. Saul has been removed as a threat. David has been the
undisputed king of Israel for many years. God has prospered David, his
family and his kingdom. Instead of running for his life, he is one of
the most respected monarchs of his day. People now seek him out, not to
injure him, but to lavish great compliments and expensive gifts upon
David.
It is a sad paradox of the Christian life but, it is in our seasons of
victory that we can make ourselves most vulnerable to defeat. You see,
it is easy to call upon God with great faith when life is tough and we
don't seem to have a friend in the world. It is when we are on the
mountain that it becomes so easy to forget God and all his many
benefits. In the valley we easily give God credit for everything. It
is on the mountain we are tempted to be impressed with the work of our
own hands. It is in the valley that we may question His presence. It
is on the mountain that we often question His worthiness.
This is why David's words in this passage are so important for those who
wish to continually dwell in the stronghold of praise. They remind us
to continually praise God. They remind us to continually remember where
our strength, our hope, our victory comes from. We must remember that
if we are to ever reach the mountain top, it is God who must put us
there. But, if we are dwelling on the mountain top, we must also
remember only God can keep us there.
Why was David so easily given to praise in this season of blessing?
Because he saw God as his Rock, Deliverer, Strength, Shield, Refuge,
Savior and Lord. David had been delivered and he would not forget that
it was God alone who had delivered him.
We have spoken of the inevitability of turmoil in this life. But, the
child of God may also look forward to sweet seasons of peace and
blessing. These seasons, however, are not given just to be consumed for
their pleasure. They should teach us something about the goodness of
God and our responsibility to rejoice and praise Him for His goodness.
So,
If you are struggling with difficulty, praise Him for His presence.
But, if you are enjoying rest, praise Him for His peace.
If you are battling an illness, praise Him for his strength. But, if
you are enjoying good health, praise Him for His healing.
If you are battling serious material/financial need, praise Him for what
he has provided. But, if you are enjoying an overflowing cup, praise
Him for His bounty.
Paul admonished the church at Ephesus to, "Always give thanks for
everything." (Ephesians 5:20a TLB) The logic behind this is so simple
we miss it. If we would enter into the stronghold of God, we must
praise Him in our adversity. But, if we are to continually dwell there,
we must also praise Him in the seasons of blessing.
3. Learning to Live with an Attitude of Praise - Genesis 29:31-35
The 29th chapter of Genesis is the story of Laban's deception of Jacob
with respect to which of his daughters Jacob would marry.
Laban had two daughters. Rachel, the younger, was a "fox", a real heart
stopper. Everybody wanted to marry her. In a day when it was the
father's responsibility to insure that his daughters would marry well,
Laban was having no trouble at all recruiting candidates to marry
Rachel.
With Leah, his oldest, the story was different. You see, she had a real
handicap. She was, in a word, ugly. Ugly was no more a virtue then
than it is now. Though she was the oldest, and tradition held she
should marry first, Laban knew his chances of getting a husband for Leah
were slim. So, he devised a plan. You know the story. Jacob agreed to
work for Laban for seven years in return for Rachel's hand in marriage.
When the wedding came, however, Laban tricked Jacob into consummating a
marriage with Leah, not Rachel. To placate Jacob's rage at the
trickery, Laban then gives Rachel to him in return for an additional
seven years labor. Jacob honored his marital responsibilities to Leah,
but he made no attempt to disguise his obvious preference for Rachel.
Leah was the wife he tolerated, Rachel was the one he loved.
Now, let's take up the biblical record.
(Genesis 29:31-35 TLB) "But because Jacob was slighting Leah, Jehovah
let her have a child, while Rachel was barren. So Leah became pregnant
and had a son, Reuben (meaning "God has noticed my trouble"), for she
said, "Jehovah has noticed my trouble--now my husband will love me."
She soon became pregnant again and had another son and named him Simeon
(meaning "Jehovah heard"), for she said, "Jehovah heard that I was
unloved, and so he has given me another son." Again she became pregnant
and had a son, and named him Levi (meaning "Attachment") for she said,
"Surely now my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given
him three sons!" Once again she was pregnant and had a son and named
him Judah (meaning "Praise"), for she said, "Now I will praise Jehovah!"
And then she stopped having children."
What can we learn from Leah's situation? Do the best you can with what
you have and just trust God with the rest. Jacob would care for her,
provide for her, and even have children by her, but He would never love
her like he did Rachel.
Can you imagine the pain and frustration that must pierced her heart
every day of her life? Perhaps in the beginning she hoped that Jacob
would learn to love her for her "inner beauty". But with each passing
year it seemed to become more evident that this would not be so.
But a "breakthrough" was coming in Leah's life. A breakthrough that
would come as she began to take refuge in the stronghold of praise.
Genesis 29:31 says,
"But because Jacob was slighting Leah, Jehovah let her have a child,
while Rachel was barren."
Though Leah was in a marriage to a husband who had little feeling for
her, God was noticing her. This should give you and I a world of
comfort. I recently ran across the comment, "There are six billion
people on earth, but only eight of them are super models." In the
context of our text that means there are a whole lot more Leahs than
Rachels in the world. The fact that the LORD noticed her ought to give
us cause to praise Him. For if He saw Leah, we can know He sees us!
And if he sees us, we can also be recipients of His favor. God looked
upon Leah and showed favor to her by allowing her to give birth to four
sons.
With the first child Leah anxiously hoped for her husband to be more
loving toward her. OH, how she longed to feel loved! But it was not to
be. A second child was born. Surely her husband love would love her
now. But it was not to be. A third child was born and once again she
hoped. But again, it was not to be.
It was between the third and fourth son that Leah received a
breakthrough in her understanding. Though God was looking upon her and
blessing her with children, she was focused upon her husband and her
"love-less" circumstances. In doing this she was blinded to the grace
that God had already bestowed upon her. To see God in our difficulties,
we must see the difficulties less and look more intensely for God's
working in them.
Somewhere between the third and fourth child Leah began to get it right
Just like you and I need to get it right! She began to see that all the
love she needed was already available through God. She was loved! Even
if nobody else on earth even cared if she was alive, God loved her. In
that, that she could praise God!
Do you sometimes feel that nobody cares for you? Maybe you are
struggling to find a reason to even continue trying. Do you have times
when you wonder if anybody even cares you are alive? Let Leah's
breakthrough become your breakthrough! Know that you are significant in
God's eyes. Know that He is watching when no one else is. Know that He
has spared no expense to secure your eternal preservation in His
presence.
Although Leah's husband never truly loved her as a wife, she became
contented. She had learned that God loved her, and that was enough. The
record of God's faithfulness to her was memorialized in the names she
gave her sons. They reveal her transition from a slough of pity to a
stronghold of praise.
Son 1: Reuben . . . . . God gave her a heritage.
Son 2: Simeon . . . . . God had heard her cry.
Son 3: Levi . . . . . . God had attached Himself to her
Son 4: Judah . . . . . I will praise God.
I am sure the story of Leah and her struggles were well known throughout
Israel in David's day. After all, her sons were patriarchs of six of
the twelve tribes of Israel. Do you see the irony in that? This woman
who spent her whole adult life feeling unappreciated was mother to half
the patriarchs of Israel! Included in her progeny were the priests of
Israel, and through Judah she became the fountain head of the tribe
through which Jesus Christ himself was born. Talk about the lowly being
exalted!
Perhaps it was with Leah's story in mind that David wrote these words
from Psalms 37,
Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of
your heart.
Can you learn to do the best you can with what you have, and just trust
God with the rest? Develop the habit of living in praise! Focus on God
and start praising Him. If you will, there is no telling what your
spiritual legacy could be.
Conclusion:
(Hebrews 13:15 TLB) "With Jesus' help we will continually offer our
sacrifice of praise to God by telling others of the glory of his name."
A sacrifice of praise can only come at great personal expense. It will
be difficult to offer up. Depending upon the situation, it could cost
us our pride, our right to a display of righteous indignation, it may
require we act in complete contradiction to "logic." But if we will be
compelled by that inner voice that urges a word of praise in a time of
great stress, we can enter a stronghold of praise and in doing so, enter
into the presence of God Himself. And if that be our mindset, like
Horatio Spafford, we too can triumphantly sing,
"When peace, like a river, attendeth my say,
When sorrow like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
'It is well, it is well with my soul.'"
Praise God! Praise God!
Janice sing : "In The Presence of Jehovah"
This sermon is #6 of an 8 sermon series on strongholds
God has provided his children for the day of trouble.Pastor Johnson serves First Assembly of God in
Yazoo City, Mississippi. If you'd like to know more about
First Assemblyor if you want to contact
Pastor Johnson, write: arthur4467@tecinfo.com .
(C) by Pastor Art Johnson, 02-013-00
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