Praising And Waiting

Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:1-6)

As this year is coming to an end, many of us take the time to intentionally look back on the events of the past year. We think about all that has transpired over the past twelve months. We consider what has changed, and what has stayed the same. We remember the people who started the year with us, but are no longer here. And we welcome new friends and loved ones who have entered our lives for the first time this year. 

A lot can happen in a single year. I think it’s a great practice for us, as followers of Christ, to celebrate all that God has done over the course of this past year, especially a year that didn't at all turn how we expected it to. 

Maybe this was the year you finally landed job you’ve been working toward. Maybe this is the year you found the person to spend the rest of your life with. Possibly, this is the year you saw reconciliation and redemption take place in a relationship which had been broken for a long time. If you have seen God answer your prayers in amazing ways this year, I really want to encourage you to take the opportunity to celebrate Him, praise Him, and thank Him for His provision.

And even if you have a lot to thank God for this year, you might also still be waiting for God to answer your prayers. You are hoping for that broken friendship to be redeemed. You are still waiting to be healed from your pain. You are still praying for God to come through for you. 

If that’s you, you can still celebrate your Heavenly Father. That celebrate and praise will just look a little different. You can be grateful that you have a God who freely gives you hope. You have a God who is fully capable of meeting your needs, even if you haven’t seen Him do it yet. Even in the waiting, you can celebrate, praise, and thank your Heavenly Father for His love and His sovereignty. 

So whether you have a lot to be thankful for this year, or if you're still waiting on God to answer your biggest prayers, I encourage you to be intentional in praising God. As Psalm 150:6 says, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”Be faithful in offering your praise to God as this year comes to a close, and remain hopeful for all the ways He will provide in the new year.