“Ah, Sovereign LORD, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.” -Jeremiah 32:17
Worshiping God in Painful times…How is it Possible?
PAIN- PERSPECTIVE- WORSHIP – JER 32:17
Is it Possible to Worship God when you are in Pain? It all depends of your perspective of who God is. Jeremiah was in pain when he wrote this verse of WORSHIP and praise TO GOD.
Pain does not negate Praise. Proper Perspective of God determines, irrespective of the pain, that there is the capacity to THINK right about Him and Worship Him in spirit and in TRUTH. For such God seeks after those who will.
“Ah”- no…, Jeremiah was not stumped in what to say by using using the word…”Ah.” This word is one that was used to speak of pain. Yet we learn pain did not have the final word, there was a “But God…”
Jeremiah worships and Declares Him for His
1. SOVEREIGNTY– {Master, Owner of all. Supreme Authority.”God is in control” is what it means. Also, the word implies a relationship between Jeremiah to God as “my master, my owner” }
2. SELF- EXISTENT -LORD-,
3. CREATIVE POWER –
THE RESPONSE?
4. – “INSPIRING FAITH WITHIN”
“NOTHING IS TOO HARD/DIFFICULT FOR YOU.”
Inspiring Faith. He inspires such faith in Jeremiah, he rightly declares of the Sovereign LORD – “nothing is too hard for You….” which came when He looked at Him who for Who He is….irrespective of the painful circumstances. Jeremiah knew He could change them, He knew who he believed in and worshipped Him for Who He is…his pain was real but it did not master him. His true perspective of God enabled him in and through the pain to elevate his heart to Him who is superior and supreme over all. His pain would be temporary. His God is eternal.
He was a servant to the Sovereign LORD and He would have his worship and in Him he found comfort and faith that inspired him as he reflected on the nature and attributes of GOD, ” Ah Sovereign LORD, … Nothing is too hard for You.”
GODLY PERSPECTIVE;
In our pain- or that of someone else- pray for Godly perspective, look to Him in His Word and Worship Him in word, deed and with all of your heart and as you do He will enable and inspire faith that pleases and is true of Him and based in Him.
LEARNING THROUGH PAIN;
We can LEARN from the pain of others…. their Perspective as God develops them in “the fiery furnace” and see that even pain as severe as it was in Jermiah’s case of rejection, accusations, misunderstandings etc…. could not deter them from CHOOSING to worship the SOVEREIGN LORD!
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN WORSHIPING GOD IN PAINFUL TIMES?
Some “ingredients” involved are…as follows…
A. – It gets down to a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God . He is Sovereign,”ADONAI” which speaks of a relationship, “my Master, my Owner.”
B.-It comes with a RIGHT UNDERSTANDING of Who He is as revealed in His Word. This is one reason you are memorizing- to know Him…WORSHIP HIM and Share Him
C.-It comes down to a RIGHT CHOICE! Choosing in obedience to worship Him because HE IS WORTHY and you have the CAPACITY to obey Him,”you shall WORSHIP Him and serve Him only”- Matthew 4:10.
WORSHIPNG GOD IN PAINFUL TIMES-
IS POSSIBLE!
Right and Sinful Choices can be made in times of suffering and pain. Jeremiah made the RIGHT CHOICE, and so CAN WE.
WORSHIP GOD because He is Worthy. Contemplate choose to Celebrate Him as
1. – SOVEREIGN
2. – LORD
3. – CREATIVE POWER
And Allow the knowledge of Him shape your Thinking and
4. – INSPIRE FAITH WITHIN- to trust and obey Him
Trust Him in and with your pain, in times of perplexities and consider Him, His attributes, obey His Word and Let your worship of Him begin…
YOUR APPLICATION;
1. MEMORIZE, Meditate on word for word, phrase for phrase of Jeremiah 32:17
2. PRAY. Praise God for each attribute, Thank Him your pain does not, cannot, will not by His grace, stop you from Praising Him for who He is.
3. SHARE- This week. Share this verse with others and encourage them in their own pain that Worship is a choice they have the power to do. He is Worthy.
As with you, I too am in the process of learning to Worship in painful times…and desiring to encourage others likewise