The Power of Praising God
I’ve recently been inspired by an old book (1970), called Prison to Praise, by Merlin Carothers.
It is all about living a lifestyle of thanksgiving and praise – no matter what the circumstances. Toward the end of that book he described a vision God gave him, which clarified the power of praise, and why it is so important in the Christian life. I have abbreviated his account, but what follows is a brief description of the vision he saw. As if on a mental screen, Carothers saw a beautiful, bright summer day. The air was filled with light. Everything was beautiful. But up above was a heavy, solid black cloud, beyond which nothing could be seen. A ladder extended from the ground up into the black cloud. Many people were taking a turn at trying to climb the ladder into the cloud, hoping to see what lay above. Person after person however, would no sooner have entered the cloud, than they came sliding wildly down the ladder and would fall into the crowd below, scattering and injuring onlookers in all directions. When Carothers got his turn to climb, he made his way up the ladder into the blackness. It grew so intense that he could feel its power nearly forcing him to give up. But step by step he continued upward until suddenly, his eyes beheld the most intense brightness he had ever seen…it was too glorious to describe. As he came out of the cloud, he realised he could walk on top of it, as long as he kept his eyes on the brightness. If he focused on the cloud underfoot, he would begin to sink.
God interpreted the vision for him. The brightest sunshine below the cloud, is the light that many Christians live in and accept as normal. The ladder is the ladder of praising God. The people who fell were trying to learn to praise God in all things. At first they were eager, but when they got into dark, confusing circumstances, they could not keep their resolve to continue praising. They began to fall, and injured others as they did. Those who made it through the cloud, reached a new world and realised that the life they once thought of as normal, is nothing compared to the life God has prepared for those who praise him through the darkness, believing God will work things for good (Rom 8:28). Those who make it through, can walk on top of any difficulty no matter how dark it may seem – as long as they keep their eyes fixed on Christ, trusting Him in everything. Such people discover greater light and victory than they thought possible before. I hope this vision inspires you as it has me.
God bless, Lesley Revell