2 Chronicles 19-20 ish

I keep picturing the great army of Judah, lead by a great king, Jehoshaphat . I don't see him as a puny or weak man with a name like that. The enemies are joining and declaring war on Judah. Really, I see a William Wallace scene with horses, faces painted, and archers ready to unleash the first round of defense. We know from the reading today that this was not the exact case.

King Jehoshaphat was a king who loved God and followed His ways. He was far from perfect and messed up more than few times. We see in chapter 20 that this great king was afraid when he heard of his neighbors conspiring against him. Fear. An emotion we all know. We have enemies, and we have a common enemy, the evil one who challenges all of us daily in a spiritual battle. But Judah was facing a physical battle on top of the spiritual battle, and what was the first thing the king did? Prayed.

Jehoshaphat fell to his knees in prayer and fasted, followed by all his people. He starts this beautiful prayer with praise and acknowledging God's sovereign and almighty power. He knows his past and knows God's faithfulness. The prayer ends and God's power and plan is revealed. The battle belongs to the Lord.

Who was the first to stand after that?? The choir. The Levites. Not the men with swords, the archers, the warriors. The physically strong were not the ones to lead the army to the battle ground. It was the sound of worshippers and song that went out first. In 1905 Charles Spurgeon called this "The Singing Army". Not a epic title or battle scene that could take on Braveheart or Gladiator, right?

This is such a lesson to me about the power of worship and the power of trusting in God. I have mentioned before that in the past I taught Sunday school to first graders. We learned the ABC's of God. This story of Judah and the singing army was a way of learning S: God is Self-Sufficient. He doesn't need any of us or anything to show His glory. God defeated the enemies on His own and blessed the people of Judah who trusted Him.
I'm convicted I how much do I really (i mean really) trust God to fight my battles? Not just physical ones, but spiritual ones too? What is my weapon? My determination? My knowledge? Self reliance? Or is it the sword of the spirit? My song and praise to my King???

We have a merciful God and Father. He has told us that the battle belong to Him. We must trust and believe Him that He will do it. Be joyful. Sing praises to our King.