I have had the opportunity for the past year to sing with the Montgomery County Choral Society. One of my favorite songs that we sang in our last concert is titled, “Total Praise.” Here are a few lines from the song:
Lord, I will lift
Mine eyes to the hills
Knowing my help
Is coming from You
Your peace you give me
In time of the storm
… You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to You
Mine eyes to the hills
Knowing my help
Is coming from You
Your peace you give me
In time of the storm
… You are the source of my strength
You are the strength of my life
I lift my hands in total praise to You
Today brought about a literal storm outside in the physical elements. The heavy rain came crashing down with full force. Thankfully, God has brought about the sunshine once again. I have been thinking lately about another storm that swept through the Arkansas town in which I was residing in March of 2020.
I remember having a video conversation with my family and quickly ending it because we were under a tornado warning. I asked my family to pray right away. The tornado struck my neighborhood, bringing about widespread devastation. Many homes were leveled to the ground. My home endured significant damage. And yet, God was faithful.
It was incredible to see my neighborhood, community, and church body gather around each other in support. Whether we are experiencing literal or figurative storms, we can trust that God is the source of our strength. He is the strength of our lives.
Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.
You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm.
He will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Isaiah 25:1, 4, 8-9
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done wonderful things,
things planned long ago.
You have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm.
He will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
Isaiah 25:1, 4, 8-9
The Lord continually provides for us in the midst of the storms of life. While the end result of the trial may not always bring about our desired outcome, we can always trust in His sovereignty and His perfect plan. God’s faithfulness is constant. Even though our broken, sinful world brings heartache and pain, God does wonderful things. He wipes away our tears.
God is worthy to be praised no matter what happens in life. He deserves our “total praise.” Let us rejoice together and be glad in His salvation.
Love in Christ,
Adam