The Faith of Praise

Spring is coming, even though it is still cold outside

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Praising God in the bad times is an act of faith.  You can't see Him.  You can't see much of the good He is working out in you, but you still believe in Him, trusting Him, even in the darkness.

Abraham had been given some big promises by God, promises He could not see being fulfilled, even by the time he was old.  We have been give some amazing promises by God also.  The Bible is full of them.

Abraham could have turned away from God by the time his wife was too old to bear a child.  But the fulfillment of the promise wasn't limited by human abilities.  It was all-powerful, eternal, loving GOD who had promised!

When my day is hard, burdens and questions weighing me down, I can feel left alone to sort everything out.  The heavy load almost squishes me to nothing.  But God promises to do amazing things.  Do I turn away from the all-powerful, eternal, loving GOD when I feel sadness and disappointment, when I can't see him making all things new, when all around is disease, and brokenness?  When I can't see the sun, because of the clouds, is the sun gone?  When I can't find where my child is hiding, does he cease to exist?  When my eyes are blind to the hand of God, because of all the damage satan pouring in my life, does that mean the hand of God has been cut off?  No.  No.  No.  The sun is always there, my child is just behind the door.  And GOD's hand is strong and active, even when my eyes are closed.

So, in faith, I praise the living, unstoppable God, whose ways are beyond my ways.  I trust Him when I can see clearly what He has done, and I trust Him when it isn't so obvious He is working for my good.  He has promised to work all things for my good, and I know He will.  He did for Abraham, and many others in the Bible.  He has worked for countless others through the generations, stories of amazing miracles on behalf of those who love Him.

Romans 4:20-25 says:

  20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
  21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
  22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
  23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
  24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
  25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

First of all, West's Encyclopedia of American Law says that imputed means, "attributed vicariously", or "an action, fact, or quality, the knowledge of which is charged to an individual based upon the actions of another for whom the individual is responsible rather than on the individual's own acts or omissions."

When we don't see the promises being fulfilled in front of our eyes, we can still be strong in faith.  What God promises, He is able to preform.  He gave Abraham a son when is seemed completely impossible for that to happen.  Even when our life seems impossible, we can "believe on HIM that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead," Romans 4:24, a seemingly impossible happening, that really happened.  Abraham's act of faith, "giving glory to God" (verse 20), was "imputed to him for righteousness," (verse 22).  And because Jesus was raised from the dead, and His death is attributed vicariously to us, we also are raised from the dead through HIM, we are justified, made right with GOD.


Romans 5:1 - 6 continues:

  1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
  2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
  3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
  4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
  5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
  6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

 Amazing words!  Amazing promise!  Even when we are without strength, going through tribulation, we can have peace with God.  We have access into His grace by faith.  And how do we show our faith?  By rejoicing!  Not in our tribulations, but rather "in the hope of the glory of GOD" (verse 2).  Rejoicing in tribulations will bring patience, experience and hope.  And there is even more to the promise in verse 5, "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost."  What precious, precious love!  What a precious, precious promise.  Peace with God.  The love of God in our hearts!

Praise God for His promises!  I rejoice in the hope that He has set before me.  Today I will be looking for His glory revealed in me and around me.  Praise Him for His peace and love.  Praise Him that it is all based on His strength, and not on mine.

"He is mighty to save."  Zepheniah 3:17