Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth. - Psalm 57:11

There are times in life when we face great adversity. Even thought God has promised us that he will never leave or forsake us. It still seems as if we are alone and have reached a place of hopelessness. We wonder in those moments where are you God ? In reality God is closer than we realize but he has allowed us to come to this place in order to deepen our faith and resolve in his great mercy. But the cost is not very fun as we must choose in those moments to completely surrender ourselves to his mercies. We must fall back on the truths of his promises when it appears that everything is against us. This is what David felt when he wrote this verse. Persecution surrounded him at every angle. He could have given up hope and tried to work things out in his own strength. But instead he did the one thing that could set him free and in God's timing unlock the door to overcome his circumstances. He praised God and exalted his holy name with such passion that it allowed him to overcome his circumstances in the spirit realm which restored his faith and hope in God according to his promises. It's easy to praise God when you are on the mountain top. But when you are in the valley of the dry bones and all seems lost. That's when our faith is tested and grows in ways we can't imagine at that moment. So next time you find yourself in a place of desperation remember to exalt the name of the Lord with all your strength and lean on his promises until he brings you thru the valley to the mountain top.