Satan said to God that the only reason Job praised him was because God kept him from having troubles. “Stop blessing him with the good life and he will curse you,” was the devil’s challenge. Jesus once said that each day has enough trouble of its own. Daily life will prove the stuff that our faith is made of.

We often hear someone praising the Lord for an answered prayer or something good that has happened. Would we still praise God if things had not turned out this way? Too often our praise is conditional upon what pleases us. That kind of praise has a noticeably short life span.

When Job was hit with the worst kind of news, some expected him to crumble. The Bible says that he worshiped and said, “…BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.” Yes, Job did get low, but he never hit the bottom of cursing God.

Unconditional praise is lasting praise. Sure, we are expected to show our gratitude to God. It is a powerful witness when we do, but there is a difference between thanksgiving and praise. Praise is about who God is; and for that reason, we can lift hands of praise no matter what He does or does not do.

It is in praise that we often experience the Lord’s comforting presence. (God inhabits the praise of His people.) When we praise and worship him in the middle troubles, we realize that it is the abiding presence of God keeps us through the storm.

Things looked bleak in the prophet Habakkuk’s day, but he made up his mind. If he lost everything that matters to his earthly life, he would still celebrate the one who never fails, and who never abandons those who trust him. “… yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Habakkuk 3:18 Can we do any less?

“Hallelujah, anyhow
Don’t let your troubles get you down
Satan blocks your way
Stand right up and say