It is easy to praise and seek God when things are going well, but it means more when it isn’t.
These are the moments the world does not see. They are the moments that don’t mean much to anyone else but you and God. Most likely, it was one of these moments that first drew you to seek His love. Over time, praising God when it doesn’t seem like He is holding up His part of the bargain is one of the most difficult things.
There are endless moments every day to choose another way. Everyday I am told to make life happen on my own. Everyday I am told to just believe in myself and convince others to believe in me as well. Although there are numerous paths to choose a day, there is only one path to Jesus. I think that over time this path becomes that much simpler and yet that much more difficult.
It would be easier that if over time the more we choose to seek God, to worship God, and to honor God over all else the more it would lead to life being easier and all our dreams coming true. However, this path doesn’t lead to all of this. But it does lead to Jesus.
I have to believe that faithfulness is greater than my defeat. I truly have to hope that God is more powerful than my weakness. I have to believe that when I give God these moments of my heart and my attention they are not in vain.
I came across a song this week about this very thing. The song Miracles through Bethel music was written by a man whose child died. It states, “God who was and is to come. The power of the risen One. The one who brings the dead to life. I believe in You, You are the God of miracles.” It takes incredible sacrifice to declare something of God that we may have a very difficult time believing.
In the mundane aspects of life, when it looks like the dream of life will never come true, we simply need hope beyond all hope. Through the pain of life, we are challenged with the option: will we praise God because of what we will get out of it, or will we seek Him simply because of who He is?
Don’t get me wrong, this is not an easy question to answer. If God is who He said He is, then that should reflect in very practical provision and tangible change and not just warm fuzzy feelings. When these practical things don’t seem to reflect His goodness but rather the complete opposite then it is easy to question whether God is who He said He was. I mean, why would I want to seek a God who continues to disappoint?
There are many more voices trying to convince us to walk away. This battle is real. It is a battle for our heart. Everything in our lives will point to God being wrong. We will want God to defend Himself in order to prove them wrong. But the reality is that He doesn’t have to because He is the only true thing.
This walk is really a long journey of love. I continue to believe in what I cannot see rather than what I do see. And that journey becomes more difficult everyday that goes by. Without God holding onto me, I am truly hopeless.
One of the passages that I have gone back to over and over in this season is Psalm 25.
I lift up my soul to You, O Lord. O my God, I trust in You. Do not let me be ashamed. Do not let those who fight against me win. Yes, let no one who hopes in You be put to shame. But put to shame those who hurt others without a reason. Show me Your ways, O Lord. Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me. For You are the God who saves me. I wait for You all day long.