Have you ever had someone surprise you?
Like you didn’t know they were capable of what they did?
A few weeks ago, our twins blew me away when they correctly assessed something that wasn't appropriate because of location.
“How did you know that?!” I asked them. “Dad!! Context clues - Duh!”
While I wasn’t excited about the “duh” comment, I was so impressed by what they are learning (and retaining) about context clues in their English class at school. It’s amazing the difference it makes when the things we are learning stick and we can apply them to real-life situations.
As adults, we make decisions daily, using the context for our cues to discern our behavior. From dressing to match the occasion to discussing certain things in a certain environment that we wouldn’t in another way, we allow context to influence our choices.
This certainly happens when it comes to our faith, as well. We praise God in some environments but we don’t in others. We worship God in some circumstances, while we don’t in others.
Why is that?
Is praise supposed to be about place or is praise supposed to be about God’s promises and our posture towards him? Brandon Lake recently released a new song, "Praise You Anywhere."
RELATED CONTENT: Brandon Lake Sings Through the Struggle in "Praise You Anywhere"
In the concluding lines of the song, Lake sings,
“Oh, I'll praise You anywhere
Oh, mountain, oh, valley
I know that You're with me there
I'll praise You anywhere”
Contrary to our tendency to praise based upon a context that merits it, Lake wanted to write a song that would get his audience’s eyes off the storm and onto God.
“This song is about turning to PRAISE in and out of every season…There are times when we’re surrounded by storms, and times when we’re living in immense blessing…. We light God’s heart up when we simply PRAISE no matter what we’re facing. Your situation might not change, but choosing to praise, will change your perspective! This will get your eyes off a storm, and onto God.”
We are quick to focus our eyes on the storms of life because they’re overwhelming and fear-inducing. When we find ourselves reeling in a difficult circumstance, our natural response is not praise, but protesting to God.
RELATED CONTENT: Brandon Lake Attempts to Tally God’s Victories on Early Fan Favorite ‘Count ‘Em’
But, we are quick to forget that there’s a space for us to both plead for God’s movement in a circumstance, while simultaneously praising His power and character. In Psalm 13, David wrote, “Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die… But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.”
When Lake sings about praising God anywhere, he’s not suggesting that we stuff our challenging emotions and stifle our difficult questions. He’s inviting us to focus our attention on who God is, how God has worked, and how we’re seeking for God to work in our lives.
For example, my friend leads a small group Bible study and he’s been in a difficult season with the group. Several marriages in the group have struggled and it’s not been easy to shepherd the group during the past couple of years.
But, he recently had an idea that he shared with the group. At a future gathering, he wanted the parents in the group to write and deliver blessings over their children. He wasn’t sure anyone was interested but they agreed to participate.
When it came time to gather and people shared what they had been working on, my friend was blown away by the heartfelt preparation people had made and the meaningful experience everyone shared as children receiving blessings written and then spoken by their parents.
When my friend was recounting this breakthrough moment, I celebrated with him and encouraged him to meditate and come back to this night often. He needed to focus on that breakthrough just as much as he had been focusing on the storms the group had been weathering. He needed to praise God here, even as the couples continued to do intense work and moved towards healthier relationships.
Drawing on the example in Acts 16 of Paul and Silas singing in the Philippian jail at midnight before the earth shook and the doors swung open, Lake invites listeners to praise God with great faith.
“Sometimes you've gotta praise in the prison
Cry out to heaven, shout it 'til the doors swing wide
Sometimes you've gotta stand on your shackles
Brave in the battle, worship with your hands held high”
If you’re in a season of flourishing and abundant blessings, then this song and this article might not be for you right now. Perhaps you should save this for another time.
If you’re in a valley or the fire or a time of darkness, then it might be time to hit play and even push repeat on Lake’s “Praise You Anywhere.” The context clues might not scream “PRAISE!” However, God is with you there and we join the long line of believers who’ve learned to praise Him anywhere as they trust Him to work everywhere!
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps you laugh, challenges you to think, and invites you to grow. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and watches lots of football with his wife and three kids. You can learn more about Scott’s new free resource, The Gratitude Muscle Challenge, at scottsavagelive.com.
