WORSHIP LEADS THE WAY TO VICTORY

A huge enemy army was on its way to crush Judah. When King Jehoshaphat became aware of the impending invasion, the enemy was just days away from Jerusalem. This was long before the invention of any kind of rapid communication, so unless someone came and told you what was coming, it would be upon you before you had any knowledge. In many ways it’s still the same today, as problems often arrive suddenly with little or no prior knowledge.

King Jehoshaphat was alarmed and overwhelmed by the impending attack, so he prayed and called for a nationwide time of fasting (2 Chronicles 20:3). This is a very rich chapter and I can only touch on part of it in this article. We will visit here again in the near future.

Jehoshaphat led his nation in prayer and together they cried out to God for help (vv. 6-12). The heart of that prayer is, “We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (v. 12, NKJV).

The answer to this prayer came through one of the Levitical worship team members who began to prophesy and brought the Word of the Lord to the nation. The essence of the word was, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s . . . . You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you . . . . Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” (20:15-17, NKJV).

Jehoshaphat’s response to this powerful word was instantaneous and important. The king immediately bowed before the Lord as an act of submission and acceptance of the Word of the Lord and in worship. The whole nation followed his lead and they too bowed and worshipped.

The next day the people of Judah did as they were instructed and went out and positioned themselves to fight with the Word of the Lord still ringing in their ears, “The battle is not yours, but God’s.”

What happens next is truly enlightening. Jehoshaphat appointed a group of worshippers to go out in front of the army to “sing to the Lord . . . praise the beauty of holiness . . . they went out before the army and were saying: ‘Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever’” (20:21).

What a powerful truth we are given: Worship leads on the road to victory! Will we ever learn?

As the people of God were worshipping and praising, miraculous things began to happen. “The Lord set ambushes against the enemy” (v. 22). The Lord had some surprises in store for the enemy and suddenly the invading armies began to fight among themselves. When one army had destroyed the other, the warriors of the victorious army began to fight among themselves. Worship brings confusion and discord into the ranks of our enemy. Worship leads the way on the road to victory! Will we ever learn?

The Lord made these truths real to me during my months of treatment for cancer. There were many nights when sleep was impossible; wherever sleep was, it wasn’t in my neighborhood. I am most susceptible to anxiety and fear when I am alone and it is quiet, and most often this is at night. When I am tired and not feeling well, the combination of all components provides an open door for fear to take hold. I learned when this began to happen that I needed to begin to worship and praise Him. As I entered into worship, many times I would sense the presence of the Lord but even if I didn’t I found that as I worshipped, the fear that was trying to get a grip on me would be overwhelmed by the worship. Worship led me and kept me on the road to victory.

How do you worship when all hell is breaking loose around you and things seem impossible? It’s my experience that you just begin by thanking and praising Him for your salvation, for the Holy Spirit, for the Word, for the privilege of prayer, for the many blessings that He has given. The more you worship and magnify Him, the more things will come to mind, and the more you praise, the more His presence will manifest itself (Psalm 22).

Now that I am on the other side of the cancer treatment, there are still many nights that I am awake, so I get up and go to the den or into my office and spend time worshipping Him. Why? Because He loves me, I love Him, and I want to stay on the road to victory!

But doesn’t 1 John 5:4 (NKJV) say, “And this is the victory that has overcomes the world—our faith”? Yes, it does—and what is worship but an act and expression of faith? The people of Judah acted in faith when they were obedient to the direction of God’s Word and they acted in faith by letting worship lead them into battle and on to victory.