Charles Stanley Daily Devotional 3rd May 2025 (In Touch) Saturday Message
TOPIC: Troubled? Try Praise!
SCRIPTURE: Psalms 34:1-22
Hardship is often accompanied by negative emotions such as fear, frustration, despair, and doubt. People ruled by these feelings are more likely to make poor choices. So it’s important to decide now to respond to adversity as the psalmist did—with a heart of praise.
Even in the darkest hours, worship fills the heart with joy and the mind with peace. It also enlarges our vision so we begin to discern how the Lord is at work in the world, perhaps in ways we haven’t noticed before. We see what He’s doing in our life and detect areas where obedience is required.
Our tendency is to plot a course through a situation toward the easiest solution. But believers who handle things on their own do not mature in their faith. They miss out on the blessings of following the Lord’s plan. Stopping to praise Him protects us and directs us to the right path—namely, the way of God’s will. Moving forward in faith can be frightening. However, we can confidently take a risk, knowing our omniscient, omnipotent God has His children’s best interest in mind (Jeremiah 29:11).
It’s hard to despair while honoring God. We can dispel doubt by recalling His past faithfulness to us and ease frustration by committing our future to Him. Praise is not the obvious reaction to hardship, but it is the wisest response.
Bible in One Year: 1 Chronicles 7-9
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Through praise, we escape the oppressive emotions that often accompany hardship.
Dr. Charles F. Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life.