075 The Real Battle: The Weapon of Worship
Worship does many things.
Worship…
gives praise to the One who is above your circumstances.
provides perspective in your circumstances.
breaks the power of the forces of darkness behind your circumstances.
Psalm 8:2 says: “From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise because of your enemies to silence the foe and the avenger.”
And a paraphrase of Psalm 50:23 reads: “To him that uses praise over and over, enough to make a trodden path, will I show the deliverance of God.”
I don’t quite understand how worship offered to God can be so crippling to the powers of darkness, but somehow, someway, praise scrambles the enemy’s strategy and frustrates his plans.
No place is that more clearly seen than in the life of King Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was a good king; he was a faithful and godly man. Yet, this did not exempt him from the threat of trouble. In fact, as he sought to extend God’s Kingdom, that actually invited trouble.
In 2 Chronicles 20, we read that 3 armies converged on the small kingdom of Judah to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
What was his response to this huge threat? First of all, he was alarmed! He was afraid!
What I think this shows us is that fear in the face of sudden crisis does not disqualify you as a person of faith or a person of potential victory. The key is what a person does after that fear comes.
So, what does Jehoshaphat do? He sought the Lord. Standing before the entire nation, this leader cried out, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” (vs. 12)
Then from the midst of the crowd, a Levite – a worship leader – spoke up. “Don’t be afraid…for the battle is not yours but God’s.”
The everyone…from the King to the smallest child worshipped the Lord. With a “very loud voice,” they stood and praised the Lord!
The next day, the army of Judah assembled to go into battle, but upon the counsel of the people, Jehoshaphat sent out a choir of worshipers before the army. And the Bible says that “when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against” the enemy armies. They turned on one another, destroying each other. All that was left for God’s people to do was to pick up the spoils of war.
Friends, you may be facing a very real threat - physically, relationally, financially, emotionally. Like Jehoshaphat, you don’t know what to do. Keep in mind that there may well be more at play than meets the eye. We’re in a real battle.
And though you might feel as if you’ve lost your song, remember your praise is powerful. So sing… even in your tears…even with your doubts. Because worship is a powerful weapon in this war.
Text: Psalm 8:2, 50:23; 2 Chronicles 17, 20
Originally recorded October 23, 2011, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN.