I'm inspired here by Jonahs heart! He was in the stomach of a whale, after just being tossed overboard into a violent storm, surely not a very pleasant place. But in the middle of the bile and food digesting around him, he praises God! This reminds me of Job saying “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” (Job 2:10)
Praise to God is always an amazing beautiful thing, but how much more so when its in the midst of the storm! Its like an old sailor caught in a tempest, rising up and steering the boat regardless. But instead of glorifying ourselves like the sailor, when we praise God in the midst of the storm we glorify Him alone. We are saying "yes, this is a storm too great for anyone to get through, but with the strength of the almighty God I will continue". What a show of his strength but also of His goodness!
What will an outsider think when they see someone going through hell on earth, but in the midst of that never stop praising God? They'll either tthink that we are crazy, or they will be amazed and intrigued at the source of this dedication. What can make a person willingly do this? And what a mystery of love and goodness that a person will praise this source in the midst of terrible calamity.
So I commit to going forth praising God in the midst of the storm. Whatever storms may come, let's be pointing to Him, doing the most ridiculous thing and praising Him in the midst of the storms of our lives.
"So in times that are good, in times that are bad, For any times that I've had it all I will be glad. And I will boast in the cross. I boast in my pains. I will boast in the sunshine, boast in his reign." - Lecrae, "Boasting "
Check out this great song about the shadows of life
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