Praise God No Matter What!

All creatures look to you

    to give them their food at the proper time.

When you give it to them,

    they gather it up;

when you open your hand,

    they are satisfied with good things.

When you hide your face,

    they are terrified;

when you take away their breath,

    they die and return to the dust.

When you send your Spirit,

    they are created,

    and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

                                      Psalm 104:27-31a

God is worthy of praise. This is true even when He isn't blessing you. God gives life, and He takes it away. In both these ways He shows power and His glory and therefore both reveal that He deserves praise. God provides for all creatures everywhere and sometimes He hides His face allowing them to go without. In both these ways He shows that He is the Great Provider and that we have nothing that does not come from Him.

As many psalms do, Psalm 104 makes this point in more than one way. Consider, for example, this psalm's recurring theme of water. In verses 6-8 it calls to the readers mind how God used water to flood the earth in judgment. Not even the tallest mountain was left uncovered. Yet just a few verses later it details many of the ways God blesses His people and creation using...water. So not only do blessings and curses both come from God, but He can also use the very same thing to bless or curse. Often whether it is counted a blessing or a curse depends on quantity. Too much or too little may bring hardship whereas the right amount is a blessing. 

This means that your biggest blessings can become curses. Conversely, in time your worst trials may prove to have an element of blessing in them. So, if some terribly destructive event is carving deep ravines through your life right now, remember that those same ravines may one day be used to deliver God's blessings right where they are needed most. Verses 10-12 give us this image as springs of life-giving water flow through the ravines that were likely carved by the flood to nourish the earth and animals. So, remember this, it doesn't matter if you are in a season of blessing or judgment, plenty or hardship God is still worth praising! Though it is difficult and counter intuitive, we can look back on God's judgment and offer up praise just as much as we can look back on His blessing and do the same. Both reveal who He is. Both reveal He deserves praise.