Praise in the Storm
The average literal storm and typhoons visiting my country is twenty every year. These natural calamities are making the situation harder for some parts of the nation. Just when we think things are turning good, new difficulties come that make the blossoming hope wither. We are known for our resilience, but no matter how resilient we are, there are still a lot of people who experience hopelessness. Some might think, what is there to thank or praise God for?
The pandemic brought so much fear and worry all over the world. Here in the Philippines where problems with the economy, drug abuse, corruption, poverty and crime are already present, the surge of the Covid19 and now some new variants have impacted the nation even more and have caused death, grief, financial difficulties, anxiety, depression, dread, more unemployment, severe poverty, and the list goes on. Is this the prevailing of evil?
I can only imagine how things are going in other places. I often pray for all the Christians in the world, knowing that some may be experiencing not only persecution but the suffering that is common now. The storms of life bring a roller coaster of emotions. Storms of broken relationships, storms of sickness, storms of shattered dreams, storms in the finances. What else can go wrong? When things seem to be at the right place and time and looks like everything seems to be going our way, the praising and thanksgiving is easy. But what if things don’t always go in our favor?
Habakkuk had seen the same situations taking place during his time. But I am deeply encouraged by his positive response. He wrote in Habakkuk 3: 17-19, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
Habakkuk’s trust in the Lord knew no boundaries. Despite the “crisis”, “delays”, “no results” and “losses” he chose to rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God. It’s because Habakkuk knew who God was in his life – his Savior and his strength. Like Habakkuk, we too can still praise and thank God amidst the storms we are going through if we choose not to look at our external circumstances. Instead, let’s meditate on who God is in our lives. What we know about Him will give us confidence that the testings of our faith are but just a part of His beautiful plan.
Remembering that God is in control gives us hope and peace even in the most difficult trials in our lives. We may not understand His ways but we know that His ways are higher than ours. While lack is unpleasant, joy still overflows because our joy that only God can give is not based on what we have nor the blessings we receive, but what we believe He is – our True Source. The Lord is our Anchor when are being beaten by the strong winds of storm. Yes, we can still feel it’s shaking but He keeps us steady because the Lord God, our King, is the strength who sustains us. Truly you, our Lord, are our salvation! So no matter what we are facing in this lifetime, praise will always be the response of a trusting heart. Because nothing can ever change the truth that He is good. He is just. And how He loves us so! He deserves all our praises and thanksgiving.
