DON'T BE A COMPLAINER PART 3

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PRAISING BRINGS GOD'S BLESSINGS

 

Joshua 6:16 & 20: And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city...So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and ... the wall fell down flat...and they took the city.

 

2 Chronicles 20:21-22: And when he (Jehoshaphat) had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

 

Acts 16:25: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. (KJV)

 

A. THE BLESSING MAY BE OBVIOUS

 

THANKSGIVING BROUGHT AN OVERFLOW

F. B. Meyer was pastor of Christ's Church in London at the same time that G. Campbell Morgan was pastor of Westminster Chapel and Charles H. Spurgeon was pastor of the Metropolitan Chapel. Both Morgan and Spurgeon often had much larger audiences than did Meyer. Troubled by envy, Meyer confessed that not until he began praying for his colleagues did he have peace of heart. "When I thanked God for them and prayed for their success," said Meyer, "the result was that God filled their churches so full that the overflow filled mine, and it has been full since."

 

•B.   THE BLESSING MAY BE DISGUISED

 

1. PRAISE THE LORD ANYWAY

 

The story is told of a man who raised horses for a living. When one of his prized stallions ran away, his friends gathered at his home to mourn his great loss. After they had expressed their concern, the man said, "Praise the Lord anyhow!" A couple days later the runaway horse returned with several strays following close behind.  That very afternoon the horse kicked the owner's son and broke the young man's leg. 

 

Once more the crowd assembled -- to express their sorrow over the incident. "Praise the Lord anyhow!" the father said again.  Well, only a few days later, war broke out. The man's son, however, was   exempted from the military service because of his broken leg.  This tale points out that from our limited human perspective, it's impossible to know with certainty how to interpret the experiences of life.

 

2. THANK GOD FOR THE FLEAS

 

Corrie Ten Boom in The Hiding Place relates an incident, which taught her this principle. She and her sister, Betsy, had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck.  Upon entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and flea infested.

 

Their Scripture reading that morning in 1 Thessalonians had reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances.  Betsy told Corrie to stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters.  Corrie at first flatly refused to give   thanks for the fleas, but Betsy persisted. She finally succumbed.  During the months spent at that camp, they were surprised to find how openly they could hold Bible study and prayer meetings without guard interference.  It was several months later when they learned that the guards would not enter the barracks because of the fleas.

 

 IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO PRAISE THE LORD