I'll Praise You … In The Valley As we jump into day two of learning to praise God anywhere, we find ourselves on the opposite side of the mountain: deep in the valley. We all learned about valleys fairly early in life, probably in a science/history/geography type class. In between two mountains is a valley, a low area where the sky is darker and the nights are colder. And then there's the metaphorical valley, where the nights are full of shadows and darkness. We feel doubt, we feel alone, and we feel fatigued. It's hard to see God, let alone praise Him, when we are in a valley. However, Psalm 42 can be our road map in times of deep struggle and stress. The writer of Psalm 42 (called the “sons of Korah”) holds the key to praising God in a valley, and it starts with deep honesty. “My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?'... Why my soul are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” (Psalm 42:3, 5) In the valley, your tears can feel like the only things you feel, that sting of saltwater on your cheeks. In the valley, God feels like a question mark. Where is He? Is He real? In the valley, your soul feels weak and heavy. You feel ruined. You feel tired. You feel disturbed by the sin and pain of the world. If you have felt these things or if you are feeling them now, please know that you are not alone. The author of Psalm 42 has felt them. Psalm 42, however, then takes a unique shift. In the midst of depression and deep grief, the Psalmist turns to praise and remembrance. In fact, verse 5 alone shows a sweet juxtaposition of grief and praise, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God,” (Psalm 42:5). For I will yet praise Him – what a POWERFUL piece of scripture! The Psalmist recognizes that he will not immediately feel better. Praise may not lift him out of the valley. But, he will turn his eyes to God and what He's done before. Praising Him for the past, present, and what He would do next. The word used for praise here is yadah, one that we discussed on day one. It's a type of praise in which one is casting out worship, with their hands extended. There is surrender embedded in this type of praise, and that's what we need in the valley. That's how we find the strength to praise God anyway and anywhere, despite our circumstances. It's turning our eyes to Him – recognizing His love and compassion for us, despite the valley that may surround us. Just like God was carrying us to the mountaintop, He also is holding us in the valleys. Verse 6 brings us another note for praising God in the valley: remembrance. “My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you…” (Psalm 42:6). When we turn our eyes from the valley to God Himself and all He's done before, we can praise Him for the mountains of the past, even while in the valley. He is faithful and He will continue to be faithful, always. Take a moment to listen to “Praise You Anywhere” by Brandon Lake and reflect: Where are you experiencing a valley in life right now? Where does it feel hardest to praise God? Remember one thing where God showed up, and take a moment to thank Him for that moment. Based on the song Praise You Anywhere by Brandon Lake. Original post by Essential Music available on YouVersion.

I'll Praise You … In The Ordinary We've taken the time to learn about praising God in the mountains and in the valleys, but what about the in-between? In the song “Praise You Anywhere,” Brandon Lake sings: “Sometimes you've gotta welcome the wonder, wait for the answer, worship with your hands in the air.” And sometimes, we find ourselves just waiting. We walk through the days with a mundane feeling - nothing is bad but nothing is great either. And yet, God calls us to praise Him anywhere with faithfulness. You may know the story of Stephen, the first martyr in the Church, who was stoned to death for his faith in God (found in Acts 7). This was a courageous act of faith, one that we can all look up to. However, if we flip back to Acts 6, we can see the background of who Stephen really was - and His ordinary praise towards God. Acts 6 included a conversation between the 12 apostles who were struck with the problem of widows being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. To remedy this, the 12 decided to choose seven men to whom they would delegate the task of food distribution. “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). And one of these men was Stephen. He was a faithful man, full of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit's wisdom, which is why he was chosen for the task. Yet the task was a small one. It wasn't a valley task, after all. He was chosen for something, but it certainly wasn't a mountain task. Even the 12 mentioned the difference between their ministry of the word of God to the idea of waiting tables (Acts 6:2), meaning that the mission of God should not be stopped by the struggle of administration. Yet, Stephen was deemed worthy of the responsibility of taking care of the widows in his community and he did it with praise. In fact, the reason Stephen was then seized by the Sanhedrin came down to the fullness of God's grace and power that was upon him. He glorified God well, even in the ordinary. And Stephen used his ordinary days to serve God faithfully, thus preparing him to be chosen by God for a deep sacrifice. More than often, our days won't be spent in a valley or on a mountaintop. Instead, we'll have to praise God faithfully in the mundane. And sometimes, praising God looks like serving His people well. After all, He loves His Creation (so much so that He sent His Son for us), and we can glorify Him well in spaces of service. Take a moment to listen to “Praise You Anywhere” by Brandon Lake and reflect: What is something that you do every day? How can you bring God into that simple act or habit? How can you currently be faithful with what you have right now? Take a moment to breathe in and out. You are cared for by the heavenly Father, and He enjoys every moment you spend praising Him. Based on the song Praise You Anywhere by Brandon Lake. Original post by Essential Music available on YouVersion.