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bigmike

Worship in Every Circumstance
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
John 11:1-4
Every situation we face in life presents us an opportunity to praise and worship and glorify God. This is just as true of difficult and painful situations as it is in pleasant and happy situations. The choice of how to respond is always up to us. We can feel like we are being mistreated and complain about how it seems that things always go wrong. Or we can recognize it as a situation where God is willing and able to display even more of His power if we rest in His grace. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
God created us for worship and fellowship with Him. That calling does not change when our circumstances do. Even in times of heartache or hardship, we can glorify Him by trusting His purposes and praising His name. When we shift our focus from ourselves to Him, it transforms not only our outlook but also our impact. Worship is not reserved for mountaintop moments; it often shines brightest in the valleys.
G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “God seeks and values the gifts we bring Him—gifts of praise, thanksgiving, service, and material offerings. In all such giving at the altar we enter into the highest experiences of fellowship. But the gift is acceptable to God in the measure to which the one who offers it is in fellowship with Him in character and conduct; and the test of this is in our relationships with our fellow men. We are thus charged to postpone giving to God until right relationships are established with others. Could the neglect of this be the explanation of the barrenness of our worship?”
There are few things we can do to better glorify God than to trust and praise Him in hard times.
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