Day 202- Thankful we can praise God in the storm

I wonder whether dogs have any perception of time.

Our dog, Lilly, is afraid of thunder. A couple of nights ago when it started to thunder, she started the nervousness, as always. I slept through whatever thunder there was during the night, and when I got up, she was curled up at my husband’s feet under his desk.

Normally, she always comes to me when there is thunder, but I asked my husband to keep her for a while so I could do some other things. It rained and thundered off and on all day, and every time I looked at her, she had this mopey look on her face, like she couldn’t possibly consider thinking of anything else except for her misery.

I asked the question at the beginning for a reason.

I was wondering if Lilly would perceive a whole day of thunder like we perceive trials that seem to stretch on and on without an apparent end, something like the trials that have hit our world in 2020.

I wonder how many of us have been hanging our heads low, with that downcast look in our eyes, unable to focus on anything else except our misery. How many of us have been so focused on our fears and anxieties and the huge disruptions that have drawn our attention away from God that we can’t function or feel joy? Have we been willing to lay at His feet for protection but unwilling to trust Him enough to look at Him fully and praise Him?

We are not dogs, of course.

We are made in the image of God for relationship with Him. We can “curl up at His feet”, but we can also stand up and walk, holding on to His hand. We can walk around with Him by our side, and know that nothing will be able to get past Him that He cannot help us through. He will even carry us through if we are too terrified, in which case, we will be close to His heart and able to focus better on Him. And this outpouring of His love will give us joy and inner peace that would not otherwise be possible.

What if the main thing God wants to teach us is that He is everything we need?

What if the storms around us are meant to drive us to His feet and direct our gaze toward His face?

What if He loves us so much that we can praise Him in the storm with full confidence in His Holy goodness and strong protection?

This reminds me of a song by Casting Crowns, “Praise You In This Storm”:

“I was sure by now, God you would have reached down
And wiped our tears away,
Stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
That it’s still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear your whisper through the rain
I’m with you
And as your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
The God who gives and takes away

And I’ll praise you in this storm
And I will lift my hands
That you are who you are
No matter where I am
And every tear I’ve cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise you in this storm…”

You can listen to it here:

Today I’m thankful we can praise God in the storm, no matter how bad the storm is or how long it lasts.

I’m thankful that He is everything we truly need to carry on amidst the trials of life.

I’m thankful for how God can use our pets to teach us life lessons.

And I’m thankful for the beautiful songs that God has inspired others to write that can help these truths find permanent residence in our hearts!

What about you?  Does any of this speak to you?  Have you been struggling in any of these areas?  Have you found God to be all you need?  Are you able to praise Him in the storm?  Is there anything you need to do differently, any attitude that needs to be adjusted?  Has your faith been strengthened in the storms of 2020?

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