Music and Worship - Part III

I am still thrilling from the beautiful worship time that I participated in on Sunday morning in my local fellowship.  It is so thrilling to know that our praise has reached Heaven and that God has taken pleasure in our worship and honors us with His presence in such a special way.

In the final installment in this series on music and worship, I want to focus on the idea that music can often precede great victory.  Clearly music is often our response to victories won as songs of celebration and rejoicing fill our mouths.  What I have found in my own life is that as I worship in the midst of my struggles is when I prepare myself to receive the overcoming deliverance God desires to give.

This revelation first came to me many years ago as I studied the story of Jehoshaphat found in II Chronicles 20.  The Moabites and Ammonites were coming against the people of God.  Jehoshaphat and his army did not know what they were going to do.  After receiving direction from the Lord, the King appointed singers to march in advance of Israel's army.  They were to "sing to the Lord and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army."  (II Chronicles 20:21)  As the worshippers began to sing, God began to fight on their behalf!  Notice the description the writer provides of the victory:  "When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped."  (II Chronicles 20:24)  That's what I call TOTAL victory!

I think the implications are clear.  When we worship and place God in His rightful position in our lives, we allow Him to move in our circumstances and act on our behalf!  Israel could have gone forward to face the battle on their own, but victory would have been doubtful.  Rather, they offered their praise and God came on the scene.  Isn't it comforting to realize that things and people are transformed in the presence of a Holy God? 

Need some things to change?  Invite God to come on the scene by praising Him for who He is!  After all, "He inhabits the praise" of His people (Psalm 22:3).