Praise Him!

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

In the past few weeks, I have had one challenge or trial after another and another. Each one assaulting my finances, physical stamina, and emotional fortitude. Then I bottomed out. For context, I do property management to earn a living.

Brief Timeline
• June 22^nd a freshly painted basement got water during a torrential downpour.
• June 24^th a washing machine is declared non-repairable after waiting a week for the service tech.
• June 24^th brake booster goes out on my vehicle.
• June 28^th another washing machine malfunctions. This time flooding the living room and ruining laminate flooring in the kitchen.
• July 1^st rent check mailed but still lost somewhere by USPS as of this post.
• July 2^nd got a flat tire when someone placed a glass bottle under my car at Walmart.
• July 8^th my washer dies in the middle of the spin cycle. (Three washers in less than three weeks.)
• July 9^th a severe storm with 70 mph winds takes down 65 ft of pin oak in my front yard, pulling the power line to a neighbor who then had no service for almost 12 hours.

I want to take a sharp turn changing the focus from my long list of woes to the place where focus and honor belong being ascribed – that is on Jesus my Lord, King of Kings, Savior, Master, Provider, Teacher, Holy One and so many other names. HE is the one deserving of my adoration and praise forevermore.

Righteous Response
In a season where I feel like life is crushing me and everything is against me, I know that is when I must cling to the strong foundation of my faith all the more. During a series of unwanted circumstances Job often comes to mind. Job was a man of outstanding character. A man who fell to the ground and worshiped God following a litany of tragic events.

During my recent chain of happenings, I found myself thinking about the hymn Count Your Blessings written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1856. This hymn challenges me to rise above my circumstances and view life from a fresh perspective of gratitude. If you’re not familiar with this hymn you can hear an acapella rendition of two stanzas by clicking here.

Lesson Learned
Through this succession of minor catastrophes, God provided me practical application of another sort. He reminded me that being a member of a family is not an independent solo thing. Rather being a member of a family is to be dependent upon each other. As Christians, the family of God, we have an obligation to each other. We are to love, help, admonish, encourage, and serve one another. At times that requires letting our family know of our “needs”.

Lest I give you the impression I’m always an optimistic Pollyanna type, I confess I am not. I desire to have eyes that without fail look for God’s hand in every circumstance and accept without grumbling or complaint the things that have been permitted to touch my life. In that arena, I am still growing.

At the beginning of this post, I stated, “I bottomed out.” That is when I reached out to the family. I called a longtime friend and faithful person of prayer – someone to go to battle with me against the spiritual realms. Then I called one of my Elder Pastors for prayer and tangible help with the downed tree. My pastor intended to reach out to other elders and staff about finding a source who could assist.

Fresh Hope
Our great God had a plan already in place. About an hour after speaking with my pastor he called to tell me that he had received a phone call after we spoke but before he had reached out to anyone. The call was from one of three young men wanting to help people with storm clean-up. The pastor and I were both encouraged and could jointly praise God for this swift answer.

In a matter of hours, the small crew had safely taken down the fallen part of the tree, cut and stacked logs, and hauled away much of the leafy canopy from the yard. Their act of kindness provided fresh hope when I was weak. If I had not shared my need I would have been easily overwhelmed by despair.

“Do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you; I will help you;
I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10, CSB

For Further Study
Review Job chapters 1, 2, and 19:25-27. Take note of Job’s immediate response to the horrific things that happened and his later response. Is your automatic reaction, like Job’s, to worship when calamity strikes? Do you ask for help when circumstances necessitate it?

Prayer
Father God, thank You that I can say in agreement with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the end, he will stand on the dust. Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet I will see God in my flesh. I will see him myself; my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger. My heart longs within me.”

Thank You for establishing family. Thank You for adopting me into Your eternal family through Jesus Christ. Cause me to be aware of the needs my brothers and sisters have and reveal opportunities to meet those needs. Thank You for reminding me that being a member of the family is not a solo act. You the triune God are worthy of praises forever and ever. Amen.