There is a story of a king who accidentally cut his finger. When his servant saw the finger he said, “Praise God.” This greatly offended the king and he ordered that his servant be put in jail. One day, the king decided to go to the woods. While going deep into the woods, he was captured by a tribe. Just when he was about to be put to death, they saw that his finger was lacking and was not worthy of the sacrifice. He was set free. Upon reaching the castle, he called for the servant whom he had jailed and told the story. The servant again said, “Praise God.” The king was puzzled and asked the servant, “Why ‘Praise God’? Aren’t you angry at me?” The servant replied, “If you did not put me in jail, I would have gone with you.” Since my fingers are all complete, I would have been the best candidate to be sacrificed.

In discussing the praising of God in relation to Mary, we must remember that she was undergoing great difficulty when she found out she would soon be the mother of the Messiah. Despite the difficulty, she praised God, “My soul proclaims the Goodness of the Lord.”

My dear friends, three reasons why we should praise God even in difficult times:

1. Praising God gives us HOPE. Mary was able to praise God because she knew that God has a plan. That plan may not be fully understood but it is the best. She may have a limited view of life but she knows God sees all.

2. Praising God fills our minds with POSITIVE THOUGHTS. Our mind is very powerful. If it is filled with negative things, the effects in our lives are devastating. However, if filled with good and Godly things, we are strengthened. 
3. Praising God reminds us to always look at the Big Picture. Times may be hard or times may be difficult but always look at the big picture. If we look around we see the many miracles of God. Mary saw how God worked in the lives of Elizabeth and Zechariah. 

Pastor Martin Hagee: “If you are experiencing the most difficult situation in life… Praise the Lord. He will deliver you.”