Praising God in the Unthinkable

Praising God in the unthinkable, those moments in life when you cannot even breathe, seems like too much to ask. What kind of God allows events so difficult and painful that we cannot even comprehend what is happening, and then desires praise? Yet, that is exactly what we are commanded to do, over and over again.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Sometimes life just hurts. The sudden death of a loved one, loss of a job, an unfaithful spouse, or a prodigal child causes us to cry out to God for mercy and help. In the midst of our pain, are we faithful to bring God praise?

Praising God in the Unthinkable

Recently, I began a study of the Psalms of Ascent, Psalms 120 to 134. Traditionally sung by pilgrims going up to Jerusalem for feasts, they were intended for joyful times. These psalms express praise for a good and loving God, hope for a restored Jerusalem and the coming Messiah. Imagine my surprise when I discovered they were written by a captive people trapped in the unthinkable. We see this in Psalm 120 when the author bemoans his captivity, “Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I lived among those who hate peace…”

Ten of the fifteen psalms were written during the period of Babylonian captivity – think Daniel and Esther. Captured and enslaved, the Jewish people suffered cruel oppression for 70 years. King Nebuchadnezzar took away their Hebrew names and banned the worship of their God. The slightest infraction of his laws threatened execution. The captive Jews struggled to hold onto their faith, language, and culture. Yet the writers of these psalms praise God through and in spite of their trials.

The Praise We Didn’t Plan

In his article, Praise We Didn’t Plan, Pastor Jonathan Parnell suggests that Psalms 135-137 follow here for a reason. Psalms 135 and 136 repeat the praise of the preceding chapters, “his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 137 returns us to mourning their captivity, “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.”

The struggle and unrelenting sorrow of these writers lasted long and penetrated deep. Their psalms speak to our hearts today, not only because of their beauty, but because we identify with the heart-wrenching need they express. Few cannot claim loss and heartbreak in recent years, as COVID ravaged our world and our society rocks with challenges to everything we believe and hold dear. The world is a harsh place, and we too long for peace.

Facing the Unthinkable in Our World

Shortly after the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, my sister asked me to join in praying for a family of Palestinian Christians she became acquainted with through a ministry she helps. Moh, his wife and children, and extended family live in one of the Gazan villages hardest hit in the Israeli search for Hamas. Moving from place to place since their home was destroyed, they now reside in a refugee camp. Often, they have slept on the ground without blankets, lacking a change of clothing or clean drinking water.

Moh, who shared Jesus with everyone he met in the early days of the war, now struggles for every breath because of smoke from the bombings and fires for cooking and warmth. He once wrote: “I worship a living and fearless God. I swear to you…that there is nothing in my heart but the Lord Jesus Christ. The best blessing in this life is for the heart to cling to the Lord Jesus Christ, and then you will have gained everything.”

The captive Jews of Daniel’s day understood fear and deprivation like Moh and his family face in Gaza today. Yet, the writer of Psalm 121 says with certainty, “The Lord is your keeper… The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”

Lessons from Captivity

Psalm 137 is one of the most poignant in scripture: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” Can you hear their anguish?

Likewise, believers today often feel threatened physically and spiritually in a society that demands we celebrate that which mocks God. Pastor Jonathan Parnell writes, “There may not be another question so relevant for Jesus’s church in the rough and tumble of life in a fallen world. ‘How are we supposed to praise you here, God?’ ‘How do we sing of your wonders here?’”

Yet, even in the grief of these captive Jews, we sense hope in the faithfulness and promises of God. “If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.”

Ezekiel’s Hope

Where did the priests who wrote these psalms find reason for their praise? Writing about Psalm 137, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, in his book Holy Songs of Israel explains that one of the priests was the prophet, Ezekiel, whose famous vision occurred on the banks of the Kebar River in Babylon. “Ezekiel explained that the vision was a reassurance that the Jews would someday return to Israel and that God was surely with them. One day He would return with them as well. This was the only comfort that the priests had as they mourned. They hung their harps by the river—the place of Ezekiel’s vision—as a reminder that one day, they would use their harps again.”

Finding My Praise in the Unthinkable

Two years ago, our family was rocked by the unthinkable. In the days and weeks that followed, we questioned why God would allow such devastation when we love and serve him faithfully. And we are not alone in those questions. Through the ages, God’s people have questioned the harsh realities of life that leave us shaken and weak with grief. The reality is that the unthinkable happens to good people.

Though my heart was broken, I remembered the character and promises of God. While my circumstances change, God does not. Prophesying of the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiah wrote these encouraging words in Lamentations 3:21-24: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’”

Dear ones, our God is eternal, his love and mercies are everlasting. Because he is unchanging as well as eternal, I know his promises are true. He is wise, his knowledge and understanding far higher than I can comprehend. God is sovereign and in control. Nothing takes him by surprise. He is faithful, holy, and good. Because he is infinite, his love and grace toward me is perfect and endless. When I begin to praise God for who he is, his truth permeates my heart and mind. Giving praise infuses my thoughts with greater understanding. It uplifts my spirit and gives me hope.

Practical Help for When We Face Trials

When I struggle, I recall God’s faithfulness in times past, both in scripture and in my own life. In 2 Corinthians 11:16-12:10, the apostle Paul lists the many times he suffered and almost died. His message from the Lord is: “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Along with praise, journaling is a practical way to keep track of how God has shown his faithfulness in the past. Though I have felt abandoned before, God has always come through. Because he never changes, I can trust God to be faithful in the future, as well.

When the unthinkable happens, my God remains true to his character of love and grace. I have learned to praise him through trial and struggle because he is a good God.

 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

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