Day 7 - Growing Strong to Carry On

“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 40:3, NLT)

“Then I will proclaim your justice, and I will praise you all day long.” (Psalm 35:28, NLT)

“I will praise the LORD, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21, NLT)

My husband suffered several setbacks during cancer treatment, and recovery took months longer than expected. He’d always been a fit, active person, so watching him struggle to make it through each day left me wondering whether he would ever return to his normal self. Fear for his health and our future could have consumed me, but praising God amid the uncertainty changed everything.

Whenever I felt afraid, I praised God for His faithfulness, His wisdom, and His goodness. I praised Him for His sovereignty over every detail of our circumstances. I listened to, and sang along with, worship music that reminded me of God’s willingness to help us face our giants and fight our battles. Being intentional about practicing praise unleashed God’s power to overcome fear. His peace overruled anxiety and gifted me with strength to trust Him one day at a time.

God is worthy of our praise in good times and bad as revealed through His name Elohei Tehillati, which means “God of My Praise.” David acknowledged this truth amid desperate circumstances when he cried out, “God of my praise [Elohei Tehillati], do not be silent!” (Psalm 109:1 NASB).

To praise God means to delight in or applaud His superior character. It means to adore and celebrate Him. Practicing praise is easy when our circumstances are carefree, but not so much when they turn complicated and suck the wind from our sails. Yet that’s when it’s vital to do the opposite of what our human bent wants to do.

Depending on our personality, we might respond to challenges by scrolling mindlessly through our social media feed, texting a friend to talk about what’s happening, or serving up a hearty helping of our favorite comfort food. We might seek to renew our strength to persevere by taking a walk, or we might do the opposite—crawl into bed and pull the covers over our head.

None of those things come close to renewing our strength amid hardship in the same way as praising God does. Neuroscience suggests that praise reduces cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone. It’s linked to lower blood pressure and a stronger immune system. Singing on a regular basis has even been linked to better heart health.

I’ve heard some folks describe God as egocentric because He desires our praise. May I suggest otherwise? Perhaps He desires our praise because He knows it’s good for us. Praising Elohei Tehillati changes our focus from our problems to the Problem-Solver. It reminds us to trust our challenges and their outcome to Him, and it literally renews our strength to carry on.

Let’s make praise more than something we do in desperate times. Let’s make it our lifestyle, beginning now. For what can you praise Elohei Tehillati today?