Are you able to worship God in the hard times? This is one of the most difficult tasks of the faith life. It is easy to worship God when the sun shines bright. It is easy to worship God when the bills are paid. It is easy to worship God when things are going well. What about during the hard times? Job gives us a good example of someone who was able to worship during the hard times. “Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:20-21) I want to make three observations from this text.
1. Worship is being honest with God. Job had lost his children, his land, and most of his possessions yet he worshipped God.
From this I must conclude that worship is not a feeling. I have heard people say “I didn’t feel anything.” If worship is a feeling then what happens when we get a headache or upset stomach? What happens if we get a migraine? Does that mean our faith goes dormant during those periods of time.
Illustration: Several years ago I learned a valuable lesson about feelings and worship. I was preaching a series of sermons on shepherding. Since shepherding is a part of my DNA I feel strongly about the subject. The sermons were delivered with passion. I tend to read peoples faces when I preach. I noticed one man, for whom I have much respect, was grim during those messages. Later on I asked him if he was doing okay. His response touched my heart. He said, “Pastor I was grim because your messages on shepherding have spoken to my heart.” My friend had feelings but they were reflective feelings. They were not feelings that jumped out in an emotional display. They were feelings of a heart that was touched.
If worship is being honest with God then it is not based on feelings. It is also not based on circumstances. Job had an unfavorable set of circumstances. He had suffered tremendous loss. Throughout the Bible we see expressions of praise that grew out of difficult circumstances. The Psalms were written from the midst of pain, heartache, and suffering. Paul wrote the book of Philippians from captivity, yet the theme of that book is “joy.” John wrote Revelation from exile, yet the theme of that book is “victory.”
2. Worship is trusting God. Job had lost most of his worldly possessions yet he continued to trust God.
In trusting God during the hard times that means we must trust His sovereignty.
Illustration: Warren Wiersbe wrote a book, “Victorious Christian”, about Fanny Crosby. Crosby was the author of over 8000 songs including several that we sing today. In fact she wrote so many that she had to write under pseudonymns just so she could get more of her songs into the hymnbooks. At 6 weeks of age Fanny Crosby developed a minor eye inflammation and was taken to a local doctor for treatment. However, the doctor who treated her used the wrong medicine on her eyes and she became totally and permanently blind because of his carelessness. Interviewed years later, Fanny Crosby said she harbored no bitterness against the physician. In fact, she once said, "If I could meet him now, I would say thank you, over and over again for making me blind." She felt that her blindness was a gift from God to help her write the hymns that flowed from her pen. How could Fanny Crosby, blinded by a tragic failure of a careless doctor –still be filled with such joy and power in her songs? She kept her heart focused on God. She looked up toward God rather than around at her disability and weaknesses.
(SOURCE: Jeff Strite in "We’ve Got A Secret" on www.sermoncentral.com.
Contributed by SermonCentral PRO)
In trusting God’s sovereignty that means we must trust His plans. The Bible says “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. “ (Is. 55:8-9)
Illustration: A good example of this truth occurred when God led the Israelites out of Egypt. God did not chose the shortest route by which to lead them. “God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea.” God protected the people by leading them on a path that would guarantee their greatest chance for success.
Illustration: Monday night Judy and I entertained a couple of our neighbors. Prior to their arrival Judy asked me to clean and mop our hard wood floor. I looked and did not see a lot of dirt. I questioned the reason for the cleaning. Her basic reasoning was “Because I think it should be cleaned.”
3. Worship is an act of faith. Faith does not always find comfortable solutions. Faith does not always get easy answers.
Faith is an act of obedience. Baptism is an example of obedience. A believer is willing to accept the act of baptism even though it does not make sense. Why else would a person be willing to take a dunk in water? When Jesus went to the cross He did it as an act of obedience and not because it made sense.
If faith is an act of obedience that means it must be performed as an act of the will. Sometimes it will not make sense. Sometimes it will not be easy. Someone once said “I do what is right because it is right until it feels right.”
Illustration: A man once went to a preacher and said, “I was filled with joy in the meeting yesterday. Now it has all gone-all- and I do not know what to do. It is as dark as night.”
“I am so glad” came the preacher’s reply.
The man looked at the preacher with astonishment and said, “What do you mean?”
The preacher said “Yesterday God gave you joy. Today He sees you are resting on your emotion instead of Christ. He has taken it away in order to turn you to Christ. You have lost your joy, but you have Christ. Have you ever passed through a railway tunnel? Just because it turns dark, you do not become melancholy and alarmed.”
“Of course not” said the man.
The pastor made his point. You may not see the light but you proceed by faith.
(Illustration 5247 in Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations. Compiled by Paul Lee Tan. Told by A.E. Janzen)
I pray that you and I would be able to worship God faithfully, no matter what the day may bring.
