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Sep 07, 2024 06:00am

Persevere in Praise

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“But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left” Exodus 14:29

Last winter, my son went to a conference, and one of the speakers wisely said, “Sometimes God doesn’t rescue us FROM our situation; He calls us to walk THROUGH it.” The picture of the Israelites walking through the sea on dry ground depicts this truth. God could have rescued them from it, but He had them walk through it instead. I wonder if they entered those waters, assuming it would be the death of them. Out of options, and with the enemy in full pursuit, they could only keep going. They were trapped between what looked like death and death. They could not have foreseen how God would part the waters for them. When God calls us to walk through something, it can feel like we are trapped between death and death. We’ve all been there when the only options look like they will end in death.

The uncertainty of the journey, not knowing how things will turn out, can be daunting. Will God be reliable? It’s the most common question when we feel trapped between hopeless options. Are you fighting on my behalf? We want to know. Give me some assurances that this thing will turn out alright, we pray.

Recently, I had to drive my son to an appointment in a town about an hour away. Just as we gathered our things to walk out the door, a torrential downpour unleashed with fury. It was one of the craziest thunderstorms I’ve ever seen. If we had walked out the door ninety seconds earlier, we would have been safe inside our dry car, and not a drop would have fallen on us. It was an important appointment, and we did not have the luxury of waiting for the storm to pass. We stood looking out our glass front door for a few minutes, trying to muster up the courage to run through the downpour and get in the car. The short run to our car completely drenched us from head to toe; there was no getting around it. The drive was slow going with limited visibility. We were wet and freezing cold as we crept down the highway in the storm. I couldn’t see far, and I had to drive well below the speed limit due to the dangerous driving conditions. Midway through the drive, the storm subsided. On the outer band of the storm, the rains became gentler. Before we knew it, the storm was behind us. Dark clouds loomed in the rear-view mirror, but blue sky peeked through the clouds ahead. We weren’t rescued from the storm; we had to go through it.

Sometimes, this is the way of life. We will be called to walk through the storm, but we won’t be rescued from it. While walking through the storm, persevering in praise helps me endure. It’s not just a coping mechanism, it’s a powerful tool that keeps fear at bay and helps me keep my focus on God. Practically, this looks like turning on praise and worship music. The words of the songs give language to my prayers. Persevering in praise is an anchor in the storm. When we have successfully walked through the situation in front of us, we naturally respond with praise.

“It is sometimes more important to persevere in praise than to continue in petition. In praise, we focus our spiritual eyes on God and see beyond ourselves and our problem to lay hold of His infinite love, ability, adequacy, availability, and sovereignty. Praise stirs up faith to stand in His almighty name.” Sylvia Gunter

After the Israelites walked through the storm, Exodus 15:1-21 records their response. It is no surprise that the words recorded testify to a song of praise. Praise is a powerful weapon!