EXPLOSIVE PRAISE

June 29, 2022

So I will praise You with the harp for Your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to You with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. When I sing praise to You, my lips will shout for joyH7442, along with my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue will indeed proclaim Your righteousness all day long, for those who seek my harm are disgraced and confounded.

Psalm 71:22-24

God is trustworthy, and no matter what we are going through, our gifts and our propensities remain. In the midst of the trial or challenge, we must continue to praise Him and not allow the difficulties to define us or cause us to move away from our purpose. Our response to an awesome and perfect God needs to be exalting, explosive praise. Even though He is high above our human existence, our Heavenly Father stoops to lift us up in order to have relationship with Him and thus to be raised into heavenly places with Him. Our lips should embrace praise continuously for God’s watchful eye is ever present in our joy and in our troubles.

Here is a short list of some of the trials God has brought me, Susan, through. Keep in mind that even though I have these challenges, they do not have a hold on me.

  • Born prematurely, 10 weeks early, in 1966
  • “Died” at least twice during birth/delivery
  • Cerebral Palsy affecting all four limbs (life expectancy 24 years)
  • Eye surgeries beginning at three years old
  • Scoliosis surgery at 15 years old (spinal curvature of 98˚ corrected to 35˚ with over 300 stitches and removal of three ribs)
  • Multiple orthopedic surgeries between 6 and 16 years old
  • Sixteen lithotripsies in a two-and-a-half-year period as an adult
  • Left nephrectomy (removal of kidney) in November 2010
  • Severe sleep apnea (my brain forgets to breathe)
  • Bilateral amputation of legs above the knee in August 2015

Take a few moments to make a list of the times God has brought you through struggles. Remembering and seeing God’s faithfulness in print will enable you to remain built up in the middle of the next trial and face it with faith and courage. This will give you cause to shout out explosive, joyful praise instantaneously!

Father, I (Susie) tend to be a quiet, contemplative worshiper, but getting to understand all You have carried Susan through to make her into the faith-filled, joyous, delightful bonus sister You have blessed me with, makes me want to explode with shouts of joy! May we always focus on the way You are helping us be overcomers rather than our challenges!