“Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 2 Chronicles 20:20
Worshiping God is much more than just singing or dancing. In this story, we realize that true worship begins with a thankful heart. It comes out of a clean heart that is full of faith and trust in a God that is almighty and loving like our God is.
God teaches us through the life of King Jehoshaphat that true worship is more powerful than any modern artillery of the times. The Bible states that a great multitude of soldiers were marching against Judah to begin a war. At first, the King and the people were stricken with fear, but when God spoke through the prophet, they were encouraged and they put their faith to action.
There has to be real faith and trust in God to be able to worship in the midst of a battle. Moreover, Jehoshaphat was at a great disadvantage. The kingdom of Amon, the kingdom of Moab, and the men from mount Seir had united to wage war against them and they were greatly outnumbered.
In the midst of that bleak situation, the people bravely prepared for battle however, they marched in a very unusual way. Instead of placing the army in front, the King placed the singers and worshipers in the vanguard so that they would worship and shout praises to the Lord for His everlasting mercies. This strategy resulted in absolute victory for the kingdom of Judah. 2 Chronicles 20:22 states: “As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated”.
Worshiping the Lord is one of the most powerful ways to defeat the enemy. When you worship, you confuse the enemy. When you worship, chains are broken. When you worship, God fights for you. When you worship, the enemy has to flee.
Perhaps you are going through a battle. Perhaps like King Jehoshaphat, you are terrified in the midst of a difficult situation. However, when you turn your eyes to heaven, you will hear the Holy Spirit say: “Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”Then you will remember His promises and you will receive courage, strength, and power. When you embrace His Word and believe it, then you will feel the peace of Christ fill your heart. Faith in Him will produce in your heart a shout of joy to the Lord. You will be able to shout: “glory to God, for His mercies endures forever!” This type of genuine worship will destroy the power of the devil and will confuse your enemies to the point that they will fall into their own trap and God will lead you towards victory. Amen!
