Introduction

Good morning, cherished family in Christ. It’s a joy to gather with you once again, united by our shared faith and the love of our Savior. We find ourselves at the doorstep of another Sunday, another opportunity to soak in the Word of God, and to allow its wisdom to seep into the marrow of our lives, shaping our thoughts, our actions, and our very being.

Our guide today is the book of Psalms, a book of songs, of prayers, of cries and shouts of joy. We turn to Psalms 18:29, a verse that rings with the triumph of faith, "For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall."

It’s a verse that speaks of strength derived from the Divine, of resilience rooted not in our human capacities but in our Heavenly Father. It’s a verse that echoes with the possibility of overcoming, of triumphing, of persevering, not because of who we are, but because of who He is.

The renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages." There’s a profound truth in these words, isn't there? We find our strength not when the seas are calm and serene, but when the waves are high and the storm is fierce. It is in those moments, when we feel ourselves thrown against the Rock of Ages, that we discover a strength not our own, a strength that allows us to run against a troop, to leap over a wall.

Today, we’ll be reflecting on three main points. We’ll consider the power of Perseverance in Praise, the importance of Pushing Past Problems, and the Promise of Prosperity that comes from God.

As we prepare our hearts to receive the Word, let us bow our heads in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, for the gift of life, and for the privilege of gathering in your name. As we turn our hearts and minds to your Word, we ask that you open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our hearts to understand. Help us to grasp the depth of your love for us, and the strength you provide for us. As we reflect on your Word, may it shape us, mold us, and guide us in our daily lives. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Perseverance in Praise

The beauty of the Psalms is that they are raw and real. They don't shy away from the full spectrum of human emotions, from the highest of joys to the deepest of sorrows. And in the midst of it all, there is a thread that runs through, a thread of praise. Praise, not just in the good times, but in all times. Praise that perseveres, that pushes through, that persists.

When we're faced with a troop, with a wall, with a challenge, our natural instinct isn't to burst into song. It isn't to lift our hands in praise. It's to worry, to fret, to fear. But the Psalmist shows us a different way. A way of praise. A way that doesn't deny the reality of the challenge but chooses to focus on the reality of God's strength.

This is not a naive, head-in-the-sand kind of praise. It's a praise that acknowledges the difficulty, the pain, the struggle. But it's a praise that also acknowledges the power, the might, the love of God. It's a praise that says, "Yes, this is hard. Yes, this hurts. But my God is stronger. My God is bigger. My God is able."

This kind of praise is not our default setting. It requires a conscious choice, a deliberate decision. It requires us to shift our focus from the problem to the Problem-Solver, from the challenge to the Champion, from the wall to the Wall-Breaker.

And this shift is a daily, hourly, moment-by-moment choice. It's a choice to keep praising, to keep trusting, to keep believing, even when everything within us wants to give up, to give in, to quit. This is the kind of praise that the Psalmist models for us. It's a praise that perseveres. It's a praise that persists. It's a praise that pushes through.

But not consider this: This kind of praise isn't just about us. It's about God! It's about His power, His might, His love. It's about His ability to turn our trials into triumphs, our tests into testimonies, our mess into a message. When we choose to praise in the midst of the storm, we're not just lifting our voices. We're lifting our faith.

And when we do that, something amazing happens. We find that the storm doesn't seem so scary anymore. The waves don't seem so high. The chaos doesn't seem so overwhelming. Because we're not focusing on them. We're focusing on Him.

Transition. So, let's choose to praise. Let's choose to lift our voices, to lift our faith, to lift our eyes. Let's choose to persevere in praise. Because when we do, we'll find that we can run against a troop. We can leap over a wall. We can face whatever comes our way. Not because of who we are, but because of who He is. And that's something worth praising about.

Pushing Past Problems

Amid life's trials and tribulations, we often find ourselves at a crossroads ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO