God, Our Ever-Present Defender
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.—Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.—JAMES 5:13 NIV
Humanity’s formula for happiness is vastly different from God’s. We most often live to please ourselves, and when things don’t go our way, we grumble. The Lord wants us to live for Him. And whether we’re happy or sad, He longs for us to lift our voices in praise.
So what is God’s formula for happiness? Prayer and praise. Sounds simple, right? Not necessarily. Imagine that you’re in the throes of caring for someone who doesn’t seem to be improving. You’ve cried out to God, but silence on His end has you boggled. So you stop praying. You stop asking. You give up. Oh sure, you still offer up some basic, generic prayers. But praise? No way.
God longs for us to keep on knocking, keep on seeking. When you’re going through rough times, slip into your prayer closet and spend time with your heavenly Father—praying and praising. When you’re faced with times of silence from God, don’t take it as apathy on His part. While you’re waiting, continue in a hopeful mind-set of prayer and praise.
Lord, I don’t like to wait. And it’s hard for me to imagine praying and praising my way through a situation when I don’t have the answer yet. Help me to learn Your formula for happiness. Teach me to wait patiently…hopefully.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.—Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.—John 10:10 (NIV)
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.—Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)