How to Guard Against Despair During a Health Battle

In my blog post, Face Your Battles Without Fear: Part One, you learned where to find help during combat. In Part Two, you learned three principles that strengthen your faith and the faith of those around you. This is Part Three; it has been retitled.

1.  There is Power in Praising Through Your Pain

Praising God feels like the last thing I want to do when I am bedridden with pain. But I have learned a secret after living twenty years with debilitating pain. Praise is powerful; it is the only way to press through the despair of chronic health issues. What happens when we praise God?

"Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel" (Psalm 23:3 BSB). 

 The Hebrew word for enthroned is yashab, which means to sit, dwell, inhabit, and remain. Our praises bring glory to God, and they bring greater awareness of God’s presence to us. God’s glory inhabits our praises. 

What do you think happened right before God's glory and presence filled the temple Solomon built?

 "Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang: 'He is good; his love endures forever.' Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud...for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God" (2 Chronicles 5:13-14). 

Everything done during the temple dedication had a purpose. But it is interesting to note that praise ushered in the glory of God after the worship and sacrifice took place. We no longer need to sacrifice anything to win God's favor because Jesus was the perfect sacrificial lamb. He sacrificed his life so that our sins could be forgiven. 

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name" (Hebrews 13:15).

 Jesus sacrificed his life, so we can certainly sacrifice our praise. I remember Hebrews 13:15 whenever I am in distress. Praise in the midst of mourning, despair, or pain is absolutely a sacrifice. We sacrifice self-pity on the altar of praise when we worship God during hardship.

Have you ever pressed through pain and into joy-filled worship by praising God? It will change your life.

 What else happens when we praise God during our battles? 

"The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set ambushes against the men ... who had come against Judah, and they were defeated" (2 Chronicles 20:22).

The Hebrew word for began in this verse is chalal; it implies piercing and loosening. Praise pierces through spiritual strongholds. The grip of hopelessness and despair always loosens when I praise God during pain. What might loosen in your life when you praise God?

Notice that the moment the men began shouts and praises, the Lord set ambushes against the enemy. The Hebrew word for ambush is arab, and it means to lie in wait. An ambush requires waiting; it involves precise timing. Be patient with God's timing in every stage of your battle. The battle is the Lord's, and He knows what you need for victory.

2. Recall God’s Past Faithfulness to Raise the Shield of Faith

 What battles are you facing right now? Are you looking ahead at your future with fear and trepidation? Let me show you a secret to facing your future without fear. Let's take a look at the specific praises the Israelites shouted as they went into battle.

"After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: 'Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever'" (2 Chronicles 20:21).

How did they decide to praise God with these exact words? They did not stop to write a battle song just for this occasion. It was already written for them! The verses are from Psalm 136; this Psalm is filled with reminders of God's miraculous faithfulness throughout Israel's history. Remembering God's past faithfulness through praise equipped the army with faith that God would continue to protect them. 

The people who were appointed to praise God at the head of the army were brave. A mind that is filled with praise has no room for fear. Rejoicing in the Lord is a safeguard for us; it helps us raise the shield of faith. If you have never listened to praise music or experienced the power of praise, it is not too late to start! What do you have to lose, other than discouragement and despair? 

For additional study: Read Psalm 136 and use the pattern to write your own Psalm. Record how God has been faithful through every chapter of your life.

What you are praising God for today? Write it in the comments so that others can praise God with you!

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