Praise God at all times!

Imagine that you cannot move any muscle of yours. You cannot walk, sit up, talk, swallow or smile or do anything else except to lie down on the bed all day long. In this kind of existence, do you think you can praise God at all?

Well, yesterday I was with Balang Lasong and he is living like I described above for the past year. He has a sickness which causes muscle distrophy and over the past few years, his disabilities slowly increased until the present state. I was with a group of church members who visited him to have Holy Communion with him. I really admire the way Balang and his family has continued to trust the Lord as Balang's phsical condition deteriorated. He had been coming to the church services as long as he could, even in a wheel chair. When he could not sit in his wheel chair anymore, he stopped worshipping God at the church with us. But he was always very glad when we went to his home to have Holy Communion with him. His faith in God is truly admirable!

He and his family is a present-day example of David who in Psalm 34 wrote of extoling God at all times, even when he had to pretend to be insane while he was fearing for his life and in the midst of enemies who could chop off his head if they wanted to. David was in trouble and he was indeed overwhelmed with fears but he was able to surrender his fears to God and then he testified how God delivered him from all his fears. Through it all, he was able to praise God for God is Sovereignly in control of all things, even when he did not understand why God allowed certain things to happen to him.

When I have to go through the fiery test of my faith, may I be found to be extoling God at all times, trusting him faithfully and surrendering all to His loving care.