More than a million people live in Kibera, East Africa’s largest slum, located in the heart of Nairobi, Kenya. A railroad track divides the massive area in half and, when no train is chugging through, also serves as a walking path for Kibera residents and visitors.
One day, as I was trekking down the track, a man in a shabby suit approached my friend and me. “I’ve just come from church,” he proclaimed. Appearing to be oblivious to the horrible stench that permeates his 600-acre slum home, he thanked us for coming by and added with a smile, “The Lord loves us and will provide for us.” He then shook our hands and walked away.
Surely this man craved better circumstances, but somehow he could still “acknowledge that the Lord is God” and that the Lord will take care of him “as a sheep of his pasture” (v.3).
His secret? Perhaps, more often than most of us, he has searched for water and found none; then, with a parched tongue, he’s cried out to God for provision—and He delivered. Perhaps a mere cup at first. But then more. Of the poor and needy, God says, “I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them. . . . Rivers fed by springs will flow across the parched ground” (Isaiah 41:17-18).
Though this man was a stranger, his life and faith have greatly inspired me. He showed me it’s possible to praise God while living in squalor. We can, regardless of our physical circumstances, “worship the Lord with gladness . . . singing with joy” (v.2). “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever” (v.5).
More:
I will feed the poor in My pasture; the needy will lie down in peace (Isaiah 14:30).
Next:
What verses in the Bible encourage you to trust in God’s provision, even when it can’t be seen? How will you praise God today as you face an uncertain future?
sv.vanwinden on December 4, 2009 at 3:37 am
We should praise him in the worst moments of our lives!
corky on December 4, 2009 at 7:13 am
The ability to praise God thru our trials can only come through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we ask him he will provide the attitude it takes to praise him always….not any of our effort can make us rejoice through the loss of a child, the death of a loved one, the reckoning of a marriage, home, or job, etc….these things will bring us to our knees, but as we lift our heads, Jesus will reveal His light as we ask for mercy and he will provide. We need to develop our faith in that promise through a consistant searching of his word and a listening ear to his voice….
kewi on December 4, 2009 at 8:53 am
Yes, I have been touched by a family in Mexico, who have very little, Yet they go to church and with the very little money they have, they tithe on a regular basis and teach their children to do so also.
Their trust in the Lord Jesus is far greater than most.