Hallelujah! God be praised! As you read those words, what do they evoke within you? Yes, they are words of praise and worship spoken – or shouted – most often in gratitude to an Almighty God for what He has just done. And whatever it was, it more than likely bordered on the miraculous! What experience … or memory … or story immediately comes to your mind as you repeat those words? Was it the report that your test results came back and the tumor is gone? Or there’s no sign of cancer? Or the surgery was successful? Perhaps, it was that you had just been accepted into the school or program you applied for. Or you got the job … you so earnestly wanted … or so desperately needed. Hallelujah! God be praised!
Tied for number one on my list would have to be the births of my son, my daughter and my grandsons. Each one a miracle … and each one a precious gift! The list would include the many times i have seen God provide just what was needed financially … for our family … or for the ministry where i served – seldom more than was needed, but always just enough! My memory is filled with countless times that God has healed … or delivered … or protected … or blessed exceedingly abundantly beyond anything i could have imagined. Hallelujah! God be praised!
As i think even more, there is a flood of faces that pass through my memory – some that were fleeting acquaintances and others that have become lifelong friends. They are men, women and children that God has permitted me to see as they have entered into a saving relationship with Him. Each one having been set free from the bondage of sin. Hallelujah! God be praised!
We are approaching the two-month mark of the COVID-19 quarantine here in the US. Though our hearts and our prayers go out to the many who have lost loved ones to the disease, we are also mindful that many have recovered … and many have been kept from the disease. There are signs that restrictions are slowly being lifted. People that have been unable to work are beginning to have opportunity to return to jobs. Parks and beaches that have been closed are being opened. There seems to be a light at the end of this tunnel – even though it may still be faint. There are increasing opportunities to rejoice. Hallelujah! God be praised!
But all of this has caused me to ponder – are we to praise God only when the news is good or the results are to our liking? Is He only worthy of our praise when things are going our way? Is our praise to be driven by our circumstances or our needs or our wants? Or is our praise to be driven by Who He is … at all times … because He never changes … no matter what we might be experiencing at the moment. Hallelujah! God be praised!
My wife, LaVonne, often makes lists of “A thru Z” to describe the goodness and the character of God. That’s exactly what the writer of the 145th Psalm did. Each verse begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. And through each verse he recites why our God is worthy of all praise at ALL times. “i will exalt You, my God and King, and praise Your name forever and ever. i will praise You every day; yes, i will praise You forever” (verses 1 and 2; click here to read the rest of the Psalm). Hallelujah! God be praised!
There is a song that was written within the past year entitled Hallelujah Rising (lyrics below). The writer talks about the Hallelujah that is rising even in the spaces that are dark … and in the moments when we are shackled in chains. Because our God is not only trustworthy in the good times and the good reports … He is trustworthy at all times. He is faithful at all times. He is God … at all times! Hallelujah! God be praised!
Allow me to close with this reminder from the Gospel of John. Jesus’s friend Lazarus was dead. It was now the fourth day since his body had been laid in the tomb. Jesus was surrounded by Martha, Mary and a sorrowful unbelieving crowd. That’s where we read the shortest verse in the Bible – “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
In the verse preceding we read that “a deep anger welled up within Him, and He was deeply troubled” (John 11:33). Jesus wasn’t angry at Mary, or Martha, or His disciples, or even the crowd…, He was angry at Satan and the ravages of sin and death in the world He had created. He was angry at the enemy for sowing the lies of fear and hopelessness. And He wept over the fact that the One who is “the Resurrection and the Life” was standing right there in their midst, and they could not see Him because the enemy had blinded them with his lies.
How often are we blinded from seeing the reality of Who Jesus is, the promise He has given and His ability to bring it about? How often have we allowed the enemy and his lies to limit our view of Who Jesus is? He is the only Way. He is the only Truth. And His word is Life (John 14:6). His only limitation is in our minds and hearts because we have allowed ourselves to be deceived by Satan’s lies. The only thing standing between the spoken promise of God and our realization of that promise is a faith that we have allowed the enemy to limit (Matthew 17:20).
Trust His Word. Trust His promise. Trust Him … and praise Him – regardless of what you may see in front of you or around you. The same Jesus who was worthy of praise after Lazarus came forth from the tomb was worthy of praise while Lazarus was still in the tomb! He is worthy of praise. Let the Hallelujahs rise! Hallelujah! God be praised!
Portion excerpted from Walking With The Master, Ch. 57
Hallelujah Rising
Lead me to the place where I trust in who You are
Speak Your words of grace in the spaces that are dark
Jesus have Your way, let Your word become the spark
Spirit fan the flame, let it reach the deepest parts
From the head to the heart
There's a hallelujah rising, rising up in me
Flowing through my veins breaking every chain
A hallelujah rising to free my soul
Light the way, make me whole
Lead me to the place where I trust in who You are
Speak Your words of grace in the spaces that are dark
Jesus have Your way, let Your word become the spark
Spirit fan the flame, let it reach the deepest parts
From the head to the heart
There's a hallelujah rising, rising up in me
Flowing through my veins breaking every chain
A hallelujah rising to free my soul
Light the way, make me whole, yeah
My hallelujah rises higher, higher, higher, as I sing
This heart it overflows with wonder, wonder, wonder, for my King, whoa
My hallelujah rises higher, higher, higher, as I sing, yeah
This heart it overflows with wonder, wonder, wonder, for my King
There's a hallelujah rising, rising up in me
Flowing through my veins breaking every chain
A hallelujah rising to free my soul
Light the way, make me whole
There's a hallelujah rising, rising up in me
Flowing through my veins breaking every chain
A hallelujah rising to free my soul
Light the way, make me whole
Lead me to the place where I trust in who You are
Written by Jason Mills and Mitch Langley