Weekly Update 7.22.19

“I raise a hallelujah in the presence of my enemies”

For several weeks now, I’ve been hearing the song “I Raise a Hallelujah” on the radio.  To say the least, I like the song.  Not only is it a catchy tune, it also has a great message.  It also fits with our sermon series through 1 Samuel pretty well.  The whole book is filled with battle scenes where the nation of Israel would be so much better off if they would just “raise a hallelujah” rather than trying to win on their own terms.

Needless to say, I was excited to find out the worship team had selected this song for our worship time yesterday.  Lisa, Cliff, and the team did a great job with this new song!  As Lisa shared, there is a profound message in the song that I think echoes in all of our lives.  No matter what we are facing, no matter what “enemy” is at our door, we should turn to God in praise and “raise a hallelujah!”

Lately I have had moments of simply feeling overwhelmed by the circumstances of life.  There’s nothing terribly big going on…nothing that everyone else isn’t also going through.  And yet I have found myself wondering what God is doing (if anything) and what I can do to fix the problem.  But as we said yesterday during our time in 1 Samuel 13, sometimes it is better to pull the emergency brake rather than to try to do something, anything, to address the problem.  Sometimes it is just so much better to stand still and “raise a hallelujah.”

When life feels overwhelming, do we stop in the middle of the crisis and praise God?  Do we acknowledge His presence in the storm?  Do we recognize His unfailing love and faithfulness even in the hard days?

Whatever “enemy” you find yourself facing today, are you “raising a hallelujah?”  Are you responding in praise and worship regardless of the circumstance?  Our God is bigger than any problem you face.  It may not be easy but stand still today and worship Him.  With a word, He can calm the storm or with a loving embrace, He can guide you through it!

Raise a hallelujah and trust Him today!

 

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Jan