Cindy Powell

“Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name” 

(from 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman)

 

It’s been a tough day for some folks. There is no shortage of pain and heartache in the world today. There is no shortage of pain and heartache in the world any day.

But God is still good.

He’s good today and he’ll be good tomorrow–whatever does or does not happen. And he is always worthy of praise.

Yet there is a very real heaviness in the atmosphere.  There is a very real heaviness in hearts crushed by disappointment and grief. There is a very real heaviness in a myriad of challenging circumstances. Heaviness is the cloak the enemy of our souls wants to shroud us in. But there is an alternative …

A garment of praise.

So I’m putting on that garment. “For all his goodness, I will keep on singing … 10,000 reasons for my soul to find.” I’m going to keep on singing. I’m going to keep on shouting out the thousands of reasons we have to be thankful. I’m going to keep declaring his goodness … his greatness … his glory …

Because I can.

Today I can.

There have been days when I didn’t know if I could “keep on singing”–but today I can. So I will keep praising. I will keep singing. I will keep shouting.

And I’ll sing and praise loud enough for those who can’t. 

That’s why he created one Body. Some days I’m strong and some days I’m weak. Some days you’re strong and some days you’re weak. That’s why we journey together. That’s why we walk alongside each other.

That’s why we need each other.

It  isn’t usually helpful to tell someone in the middle of heartache to “praise” their way out of heaviness. Is it an absolutely true biblical concept? Of course. But sometimes the heaviness is just too great. So we weep with those who weep. But even as I weep with them …

I can praise for them. 

In the secret place, I can rejoice for them. I can help “lift their hands” (and hearts) before the Father. I can sing for joy over what he will accomplish even through the pain. I can declare his faithfulness and give thanks for his great love and compassion …

Until the night passes and joy comes in the morning. 

There are thousands upon thousands of reasons to “worship his holy name.” There always have been and there always will be. One of those reasons is the amazing reality of the Body of Christ. When one member suffers, we all suffer — but when one rejoices we all rejoice.

To my way of thinking, that means I can rejoice for you …

Even when you can’t.

And I trust that when I can’t  … you’ll do the same for me.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I’ll worship Your holy name” 

Ref. Psalm 103; Isaiah 61:3; Romans 12:15; Psalm 30:5; 1 Cor.12:26