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When nothing else works, the praises of God set to music can lift your spirit out of despair. All of us have those days that challenge us—days that make you want to give up trying to accomplish your goals. Whenever these times come in your life, the Bible say, “It is good to sing praises to our God.” Because when you express the promises of God, your whole world will give you the light of hope. It will turn your hopelessness into a spirit of hope and joy.

It is reported that during the Great Depression of the 1930s, a businessman named J.C. Penney was hit extremely hard financially. He was so disturbed that he wanted to give up on life. Anxious and desperate because of his huge financial losses, Penney sank so low he felt he had nothing left to live for. Even his family and friends shunned him.

In the hospital one night he grew so demoralized that he expected to die before morning. Then he heard singing coming from the hospital chapel. The words of the song were: “Be not dismayed whatever betide, God will take care of you. Beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you.” As he listened to the song coming from the chapel and prayers that were prayed, something happened that gave J. C. Penney a spirit of hope.

From that day forward, Penney was never again plagued with worry. He described those moments of listening to the song coming from the chapel as the “most dramatic and glorious 20 minutes of his life.”

When Penney passed at the age of 95, he had attained 1,660 department stores in his name. The department stores are a part of the fabric of American shoppers’ history which exist even today when other department stores have not survived.

So, when nothing else works, sing praises to God. You will discover that giving up on life is not an option because God is your refuge and savior during times of despair; and Never Give Up! Never Give Up! Never Give Up!

By Chaplain Ghosten
chaplain@lhp.net