Psalm 98:8a Let the floods clap their hands…
What if that which is troubling you is, in obedience to Scripture, bringing glory and honor to Jesus Christ? Hear me; often, we associate the trials of life with “troubled seas”, “wind”, “rain”, or “floods”, as each of these are found often to symbolize such in God’s Word. Having said that, look at the text again; “Let the floods clap their hands…” As you are surrounded by the roaring of life’s sea (see verse seven), could it be that these uniquely challenging circumstance in which you find yourself are a direct result of those turbulent “waters” responding in obedience to the command of praising our Creator God?
Is it beyond reason that in order for God to get maximum glory, He might prefer troubled seas upon which to walk and into which to speak peace and calm? Might God need (rather, might WE need) circumstances out of which to rescue us, before we with stubborn hearts are willing and eager to lift up praise to His name?
Why are we so slow to praise Him? Why, when sailing is smooth and skies are blue, do we slip into a deep spiritual sleep that robs God of the praise which He rightly deserves? Why does He need to resort to receiving worship from the crying out of rocks when we are more silent than they (see Luke 19:40)?
Imagine The Lord, who WILL get His praise, resorting to otherwise inanimate objects which have no souls, to make a fuss of Him!! Imagine the condition of man in our calloused state when our precious Lord, long awaiting praise to break forth from our silence, at last resorts to commanding the floods around us to be stirred up in praise so that at last, when we are shaken, we too join in praising Him, even in our dilemma! May we learn to praise Him at ALL times, especially when the floods come and out-perform our praise until we finally join in to PRAISE Him!
Pastor Gary Caudill
copyright © by Gary D. Caudill, all rights reserved