Can I get a Foundation Praise?!

So recently I've started studying the books of the bible that I've never heard of before. Ha! I know, weird, but when I scroll through some of the books, I'm like...'I've NEVER heard of this before'. It's a fun way to study the word outside of the daily scriptures and your standard devotional (all great ways to study, don't get me wrong).

A couple of months back, I was reading Ezra, and I came across a scripture that really resonated with me:

10 When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed. 11 With praise and thanks, they sang this song to the Lord:

“He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” - Ezra 3: 10-11

A little background here. In the chapters before, the Israelites were just released from exile and returning to their homes or Jerusalem to settle. Within that time, God placed it on their hearts to start rebuilding the Lord's temple. In this chapter we start to see that process happening.

Here's what I love about this particular scripture, that at the very beginning of the process they praised God. Just the foundation of the temple was built, and they were worshipping as if the full temple was already done. If only we worshipped this way. It changed my perspective on giving God thanks. Too many of us wait until the promise has come into fruition, until we're healed, until the relationships are restored, etc. before we start praising God. How powerful and encouraging would it be if we began to praise the Lord at the very beginning of the promise? Before we see anything happen, we worship God as if it is already done?

We need a foundation praise like the Israelites in Ezra. For some of us the foundation is hearing the promise that God has for us and our lives. Others, the foundation is the first prayer we've released to God over a trial or concern. Whatever it is, we need to be praising as if we are at the end of the thing. When we praise God like this, it encourages us, increases our faith in God and instills a knowing within us that He'll work it out and bring us to the finish line. I believe that it pleases God that we trust Him and want to praise Him before we see it.

Entering the very beginning of anything in a posture of praise is what, I believe, sets us up to have joy through the trial. I never understood how someone could have joy through a trial, just because it seemed so hard. How can I be happy that I'm struggling, you know? However, it's a simple shift in perspective that's needed here. It's not about the trial being hard. We will face hard things. The joy comes from knowing that God's word is true and no matter how hard the trials seem, God has got us! Before we even enter the trial, we already have victory (1 Cor. 15:57). We are so covered. It's up to us to decide how we'll get from the beginning of the trial to the end. If we step into it with the confidence that our Father has got us covered and whatever hills we face, He'll strengthen us to get over them, then I can't help but rejoice as James 1:2-4 instructs us to:

2 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. - James 1:2-4

Gosh, that's good and the bonus is that our endurance grows. This means that as we face other trials in the future, we'll have the ability to withstand and push through because we didn't bow out of the fight in the past. Don't get me wrong, all trials are hard! However, if we keep our eyes focused on Christ, allowing Him to strengthen us day by day we can get through it and actually count it all joy because He is walking through it with us (Duet. 31: 6; 8). How do we keep our eyes on Christ? Get rooted in His word. Find you some scripture that speaks to your situation and begin Luke 10:19)! Secondly, know that the enemy is already defeated (Rev. 12:10, Rom. 16:20). So, no matter what he tries to throw at you, he is already defeated, and it only has as much power as you give it. So don't give him the light of day (James 4:7). Instead of talking about what the enemy is doing, talk about how big our God is and what His word says. Thirdly, commune with the Father daily (1 Thess. 5:16-18). It's so important that we are connecting with the Lord in prayer always but especially as we go through a trial. We need to give Him all concerns and fears that come up as we walk through this thing. We must get in the habit of surrendering that over to Him the very moment it pops up so that it doesn't have a chance to take root in our minds and feed us lies. Constant communication with the Father gives us the opportunity, daily, to surrender the situation back to Him and die to our flesh. That's good!

So, I encourage you to give God praise at the very beginning of anything! Rejoice because we are already victorious, God's promises are true, and the enemy is already defeated!