Praise in Quarantine
After staggering through summer with bushfires here in Australia, who would have thought, a few months later, another major crisis would hit and virtually the whole world would be in ‘lockdown’? How do we get through such times of shock, trauma, disease, isolation, insecurity, and fear? What do we do when that can be shaken is shaking?
Paul and Silas were not only locked in prison, their feet were shackled. But they sang hymns of praise to the Lord while they were locked up. And God responded with an earthquake that loosed their chains. And there was a revival amongst the jailers household!
In our time of quarantine the Lord is calling us to be like Paul and Silas. As we press into thanksgiving and honouring the Lord, let us watch what the Lord does in this space. It is not a time to give into fear. It is time to praise in the face of fear. It is a time to discover our true voice!
In this unprecedented experience of our generation, the Lord is speaking loudly to His Church—and to the nations. God is holy. He will not be mocked. Time is short. Jesus is returning as the Holy One of Israel. We cannot continue on ‘as usual’ and not take responsibility for sin, or for hiding in false refuges or avoiding intimacy with Him.
Would you believe the timing of God? Of course you would! The release of my new book “Grumble Fast: 40 Day Gratitude Feast” has had so many delays. At times it was frustrating, but I had to continue to give thanks and praise the Lord for His right time! Wow! What a time for it to be released!
Since 2018 the Lord had our team to work through a “Grumble Fast” over and over, like to prepare us for such a times as this! And then the challenge was turned into a book to provide keys to help overcome the human propensity to grumble. Now in the midst of pandemic and tumult, it has been published and ready to launch! God’s timing is amazing.
“Grumble Fast: 40-Day Gratitude Feast” is a teaching–devotional to provide daily encouragement to praise instead of grumble or complain. In this season the Lord is providing us with a catalyst for the Church to find her voice. An important key is to praise when it’s tough and to find comfort in his Presence when we desperately want to run to our false comforters. Scripture admonishes us to give thanks in all circumstances!
Psalm 62 provides us with a great prayer:
“From the ends of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah” (Psalm 61:2-4)
Jerusalem is the centre of the earth, hence Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, are the ends of the earth! All across the earth, even to the ends of the earth, as hearts are overwhelmed we can cry out to the Lord; “lead me to the rock who is higher than I”.
Not only are we, God’s people to know Him as rock of our salvation, we need to position our hearts to be ready for His glory to be suddenly released among us. How far we can arise in glory realms will be proportional to our victory over grumbling and complaining. Can we position our hearts each day to give Him thanks? Can we position our hearts to embrace His love in a deeper way so we can be comforted as we shelter in the shadow of the Almighty?
Yes, our understanding of the Lord being our rock and anchor of our soul maybe surely tested as this ‘tsunami’ sifts and tests the depths of our hearts. Yet in the midst of this shaking, it can be the greatest time to have fresh encounters with Him.
Do the Scriptural Grumble Fast for 40 days and find keys to:
✓ Defeat habitual grumbling
✓ Develop consistent gratitude
✓ Speak heaven’s language and create heaven’s atmosphere ✓ Invite El Shaddai into your circumstances
✓ Outwit end-time traps—Jezebel and Leviathan
✓ Enter your destiny
✓ Position your heart to Worship in the Glory!
PURCHASE NOW
"Grumble Fast: 40 Day Gratitude Feast" by Ruth Webb
© 2020 Ruth Webb