Worship Wednesday: Even When It Hurts

Welcome to Worship Wednesday! While there are many forms of worship, I am so inspired by music. I feel like God can use songs and lyrics to speak to our hearts. These posts are things that God reveals to me in my time with Him. My hope is that you will be encouraged and blessed by what is shared here.

This week’s post is on the Hillsong song, Even When it Hurts. My husband has been a little obsessed with Hillsong lately and he has been listening to their music non stop! This song really stuck with him and stuck with me because we had really tough year last year and there were definitely times that felt very alone and abandoned.

It’s always easy to praise Him when things are good and you are happy and feel blessed. It’s not always easy to lift your hands when you are down or feeling defeated.This song is a reminder to praise Him even when it hurts. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” Romans 5:3-5

It reminds me of David in the Psalms, this beautiful back and forth of lamenting, crying out to God and joyful praise. “For you are the God of my strength; why do you cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the enemy… Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God” Psalm 43:2, 5 “For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in the darkness, like those who have long been dead… I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land...Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift my soul up to you”  Psalm 143:3,6,8

I want to encourage you that even when your strength is lost, even when you feel defeated, even when it hurts like hell, He is still with you! “For He Himself has said ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ so we may boldly say ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:5-6.

So praise Him, praise Him through your trials.

Also, be encouraged that all this junk you are dealing with is not from Him. Remember John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill,and to destroy.” Satan sees someone on fire for the Lord and wants to put them out. He tries every means necessary and by making us feel defeated, making us feel small, He tries to separate us from Him. What a slap in the face to Satan it would be to turn around and praise God through those times when he is trying to bring you down. And what a wonderful reminder to Satan what his fate is. We have already won, victory is ours through Christ.  “No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:37-39