I've been thinking a lot this week about choosing God anyway. Choosing to love Him when it hurts. Choosing to praise Him when we don't feel anything. Choosing to carrying on believing He is present when we are angry, confused, sick, tired.
Choosing to love Jesus is easy when things go well but choosing to follow and trust in Him can be hard when the going gets tough and especailly if it feels like you have been stuck in that tough place for a long time. However we shouldn't be surprised by suffering. Paul said that as Christians we would suffer a lot (Roman 5v3). We have an enemy around us all the time who wants to rip us a part from God and from being the people of God he has called us to be.
I was reading Psalm 22 today and thought I could learn a lot from this passage that echoes the words of both David and Jesus.
Firstly he is tototally HONEST about how he feels twards God. He doesn't speak the language of peity but one of deep suffering and honesty. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?...I cry out by day, but you do not answer...?" (v1-2).God wants us to be real when we talk to Him. He would much rather we said something, anything than didn't talk to Him at all. Be REAL towards God in your anger and your pain. I noticed that the Psalmist explained the situation to the Lord anyway in this passage. God wants to hear us talk! (I am 'scorned...mocked...surrounded...v6-8, 12-18). God wants to hear our thoughts and feelings even if he knows the situation already!
Secondly the Psalmist did a lot of REMEMBERING before he even got close to feeling like praying or talking to the Lord. He remembered how the Lord had rescued his ancestors (v3-5). He remembered how God had looked after him in his own humble beginnings (v9-11).There is a lot of power in remembering. There is a quote that says "All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." Thanking God for things He has done in the past is a massive key to hoping and trusting Him now and stimulating our praise.
Thirdly the psalmist WILLS HIS OWN HEART to praise God anyway. "I will declare your name, I will praise you...." (v22, 25) And as He does all these things His heart catches up with his determination and will of faith to praise anyway. He even starts prophetically calling all the earth to proclaim the Lord's favour and praise too! (23).
So I encourage you today too, don't be surprised by suffering and circumstances you don't understand but be encouraged to CHOOSE HIM ANYWAY and in time your heart will catch up with your will and decision to praise Him despite your situation.
