“And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.’ And when they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.” 2 Chronicles 20:21-22 Here is another example of how worship paves the way for victory! The worshipers went out before the army, they led the way. And it was when they began singing and praising that God began to work by setting ambushes for their enemy. I think we underestimate the importance of worship in spiritual battle. It isn’t all about shouting and grunting and wielding a sword (although that’s important, too). True worship, singing and praising God, sets things in motion that we can only imagine! So, today, maybe I (and we) need to sing and praise YHWH more, and in so doing, step out before the army, leading the way for God to work on our behalf. It’s not just a pretty song.
Psalm 120:1 A Song of Ascents. In my trouble I cried to the LORD, And He answered me. I have no idea what I can learn from this, but it’s pretty neat, anyway. The word for “answered” is anah which means “to heed, to respond to, to begin to speak specifically by singing, shouting, testifying or announcing.” Did you catch it? In trouble I cried to YHWH and He began to respond/speak to me by singing to me. God sings to me? That’s an interesting, albeit awesome, picture! It makes me think of all the times when I’ve been frustrated or hurt, and He has used a song to speak peace and healing and courage into my heart. Yes, it also means He might shout, testify, and announce, which is also pretty cool. The interesting thing is that He does answer (it actually says He begins to speak), but I need to listen. So the question is, am I listening? What song is He singing to me today?
Zephaniah 3:17 For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song. You know, it’s a little scary to read all the prophecy books, because there are some definite similarities between our nation (American) and the nations that God is angry with for their pride, arrogance and cruelty. A lady at the grocery store where I was checking out told me that they’ve started removing “In God We Trust” from the money that’s being printed! I haven’t noticed it, but it (sadly) wouldn’t surprise me too much. We have become arrogant enough to trust in ourselves and declare it to the world! Ah, but these words are beautiful. They’re soothing after all the destruction of the prophecies. I can only imagine the beauty of God’s voice singing! I think of the most beautiful voices I know (Emmy Rossum, Sarah Brightman, Kari Jobe, to name a few) and it’s even more amazing than that! I love how His love calms my fears. He is glad of us! And, so, despite the depravity and chaos, there is hope and something to look forward to. As much as I love aspects of life, it will be a great day when God sings over me.