For Your Own Good

"It's for your own good." We've all heard that one a time or two. Usually when we don't agree with the statement. It's dished out by parents, to their children, when they are giving them medicine that tastes horrible. Or when they have given or are about to give out a punishment. Many times the statement is made to teenagers when parents have to disagree or say no to a request to go out somewhere or hang with someone they don't know. It's an order of protection.

In studying this next verse of thanks I looked up oodles of cross-reference verses. I dug deep into the meanings of the name of the Lord and of His awesome title, O most High. This digging usually, and quite clearly, allows me to hear the Lord's message and go from there. This time, I have to tell you, I got nothin'.

After denying my personal drive to make a post happen... submitting to the Holy Spirit and waiting on the Lord's prompting... I heard God speak deep in my spirit. Yes! That Deep Call that many times stirs up uncomfortable discontent or even pain or grief.

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High" Psalms 92:1 KJV

What I heard was that God wants us to take this verse at face value. It is for our own good to praise Him. Re-dedicating a portion of the time that the Lord generously and lovingly gives to us each day in praising Him gives us, in return, His protection. A divine order of protection. Give thanks to God, get protected by His mercy, grace and peace. Seems pretty simple, right? Then why, oh why do we toil so?

Back to the verse that gave this blog it's name - Deep Calls Unto Deep.

"Deep calls unto deep at the noise of your waterfalls: all your waves and your billows are gone over me." Psalm 42:7

In this verse the deep calls of the waves are afflictions, comparable to the deep waters of the sea, for their multitude and overwhelming nature. One affliction comes immediately after another, as if it were called for by the previous wave. The psalmist calls afflictions God's water spouts, and "his" waves and "his" billows; because they are appointed, sent, ordered, and overruled by him, and made to work for the good of his people: and now, though these might seem to be a good reason to get depressed, they were not, as appears from the next verse; "By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life." Psalm 42:8

I shared this with you because we get sucked into the difficulties in life only to think that is all there is. Just wave after wave of hard living. Bad news. Pain. Agony. Despair. That, my friends is not true. Not true at all. We have a God that sees us through these trials. He can turn our frown upside down into a beautiful, joyous smile with the simple act of praise. Refusing to be dragged down into the muck and mire, or under the waves, as stated above, by praising and thanking God for the good, the bad and the ugly... no matter what. God is sovereign, to put it simply, He's the man in charge.... of everything. He's got it. It's our greatest privilege to praise and thank Him for His goodness every day. Here's the only catch... YOU HAVE TO MEAN IT. You have to trust that God can and will protect you. That's all. :)

My BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) teaching leader put it perfectly... "The antidote to despair is praise." Try it. Trust me. It works. If you can muster up the strength in your depressed state of mind to look up and praise God through the storms of life... I'm telling you... He will lift up your sorry, sad self and put peace in your soul! It is a very good thing to praise God. Every day. He's got your back. Love Him, Trust Him, Praise Him - He will lift you up.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b