The Way Out Is Up

       "Offer to God thanksgiving,

And pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”- Psalm 50:14-15

        Here is the divine way out of trouble. Just now you may be in the midst of it. Everything is going against you and you cannot see any way out. But listen to what the psalmist says: The way out is up-- to God.  "Sacrifice thank offerings..." That sounds senseless, but try it anyway! In the midst of all your problems, stop worrying and start thanking God. Lift your voice to God-- not in complaining, but in praise. Offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

        A sacrifice always costs you something. To start thanking God in such a situation goes against the grain. But it is a sacrifice that pleases God. In return, God promises: "When you offer Me your sacrifice of thankfulness in the midst of all the trouble, then I will intervene on your behalf. I will deliver you and you will honor Me."

        In the last verse of the psalm God returns to this theme. He says: "He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God." God is waiting to deliver you. But He required you to prepare the way for Him to intervene in your situation. This you do when you begin to sacrifice your thank offerings to Him.

In Philippi, Paul and Silas were in the "maximum security" section of the jail. Their feet were fastened in the stocks, their backs bleeding from a savage beating. Nevertheless, at midnight, the darkest hour, they were praying and singing hymns. Suddenly God intervened with an earthquake. They were instantly released and the jailer converted. (Acts. 16:22-34). It was their sacrifice of praise that had prepared the way for God's intervention.

-Chords from David's Harp
 Derek Prince


Application:

   You're situation can be far different from Paul and Silas, nevertheless, whatever problem or difficulty you maybe in right now, the same principle of God's Word we can apply. In the midst of all our troubles, we can offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise and let's believe and  expect God to do miracles for us.

Faith's Response:
Right now, Lord, in the midst of my trouble, I offer to You my sacrifice of praise and thankfulness.