Why is it hard to remember to lean on or turn toward the Lord when things are going really well for us? There’s a song called, “I Have This Hope” by Tenth Avenue North. It’s a song that to this day stirs up emotions in me. During my previous place of employment, it reached a place where things were not going well.  Most mornings, on the way to work, I would listen to this song. It would lead to an inner feeling of ultimate peace because I know that, as the song alludes to, God is my hope and He won’t let me go.

The beginning of the song offers these powerful lyrics:

I don’t want to live in fear.
I want to trust that You are near.
Trust Your grace can be seen,
In both triumph and tragedy.
I have this hope
In the depth of my soul.
In the flood or the fire,
You’re with me and You won’t let go.

Beautiful, right? 

I’ve noticed though, that in the months that have passed since leaving my former job and my day-to-day life is not full of such a weight, that I don’t turn on that song as often. 

I was reminded today that in times of relative peace, our cries for help must be replaced by shouts of praise. 

It’s easy to forget to praise God in the “good” times. When we do, our cries for help are replaced with silence. This isn’t a good thing. Instead of going to God as a way of satisfying our aching souls, we should never forget to seek God in with proclamations of gratitude. Being intentional in seeking out God is a crucial part of our identities. Through the bad and good times, acknowledging God is part of who we were created to be.  

I remember a mentor in my youth group days reminding me not to forget to go back and praise God for answered prayers. So true, right? Many times we pray for days or even months for something that we’re hurting over or worried about and then when God answers our prayers we tend to just move on with our lives.

How do we still stay connected as believers when things are going well? Here’s a few thoughts: 

• Spending daily time with the Lord whether it’s reading your Bible, or a devotional from an app like YouVersion.
• Listening to praise music.
• Taking a walk with the specific purpose of praying to God and thanking Him for the goodness He surrounds you with.
• Journaling or blogging, reflecting on who God is in your life . . . in the good and bad times. 

It’s our nature as God’s children to cry out to Him when we’re in distress. Let’s not forget to let God hear our joyful prayers when we find ourselves in times of peace.