Fighting for PRAISE!

READ PSALM 57

Psalm 57:5 & 11

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be above all the earth.

Psalm 57:9

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.

Alright, buckle up. I'm gonna be a little honest with you. This week was hard. Every bit of it. There are times when I get hit hard by a swing of emotions that send me spiraling into a pit and I find myself in the midst of a battle to climb out. (The rainy, dreary weather didn't help at all.)

This week involved a lot of emotional scratching and clawing. You ever have times like that? (We all do.)

A few weeks ago I went to a worship event that was put on by my friend Galen Crew. He is releasing a string of songs that deal with praising the Lord and giving thanks for all the good God has done in your life. It was a powerful evening of worship that reminded me to PRAISE THE LORD in the midst of any battle. Here is his newest song Giver of All Things Good, you can listen to it HERE.

Do you underestimate the importance of praising God in your life? I know I do. Psalm 57 is broken into two sections, with both sections ending with a proclamation of praise in verses five & eleven. Obviously God is above all the earth and He is in control of all things whether we acknowledge Him or not. So what makes Psalm 57 powerful?

Answer: The circumstances that David was in as he wrote this Psalm of praise.

He was literally in a cave, running for his life from a man who wanted to kill him. In the midst of this horrifying event David sat down and wrote about his desire to sing praises to the Lord. He talks about the importance of picking up instruments and playing as loudly as you can. He thanks the Lord for His mercy. He takes comfort in the shadow of the Almighty (v. 1). And he places his confidence in the Lord, knowing that God will not leave him stranded. Imagine having a heart that praises the Lord and calls Him "Highly Exalted" while you're running for your life and hiding in a cave!

Several years ago Michael W. Smith released a worship song that spoke of this very thing...Praise and Worship is how I fight my battles. Check out the song, Surrounded, if you need to be reminded of how to do this.

So you know what I did this week? I made a brand new praise playlist on my phone. I went into the "vault" of songs that I have loved throughout the years and kept it on repeat all week. There were times when I sang along and praised with my voice, and then there were times when I just let the songs minister to me.

Praising the Lord in all circumstances will remind you that you are not fighting the battles alone, even the internal struggles that pull you into the pit. When you find yourself down there, even when you don't feel like it. Fight for Praise! I'll say it louder...

FIGHT FOR PRAISE!

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens and the earth; Let Your glory be above all the earth." You've got me, Lord. You hold it all...Thank you, Jesus!

Josh Huisman is the senior pastor of Crosswalk Church in Brentwood, TN.

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