Start Praising

Christian Working Woman Transcript

What is your battle? Maybe it's a financial one, and you've been trying to devise your own financial bail out plan. Or could it be a health problem? Are you frantically trying every remedy you can think of? Or perhaps you're ignoring it and hoping it will go away. There are all kinds of battles of every description among us, and we've got to learn this basic principle: "Don't fight; just show up!"

For the people of Judah, they had to march to the battlefield and face the enemy, but you know how they did that?

Jehoshaphat appointed men 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, saying: 'Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.(2 Chronicles 20:21)

Please, don't miss this point. As they marched to this battle where their enemies were just waiting to annihilate them, they sent singing men out front praising and thanking God. Whoa–that's pretty gutsy, isn't it? It also seems rather ridiculous. But as they began to sing and praise, the Lord started fighting their battle ahead of them and when they arrived, the enemy was dead already; they had slaughtered each other by mistake.

What do you and I do when we're facing impossibilities? Gripe and complain sometimes, huh? Prophesy defeat, too. And throw our pity parties. "Oh, me, why does this have to happen to me?" "Well, there's nothing I can do but pray; I've tried everything else." "There's nothing we can do about it now. It just can't be helped; that's the way it is." Marching to our battles–or running away from them–in defeat not in victory.

Whatever battle you're facing today, will you stop the bad-mouthing about it and start praising and thanking God, for His love endures forever? Then and only then will you release the victory that God has planned for you. Why? Because then you show God that you trust Him and you're placing your faith in Him. Without faith it's impossible to please Him. He's waiting for you to stop fighting, stop fretting, stop complaining and stop feeling sorry for yourself, and start praising Him as you march to the battlefield. The battle is the Lord's, but you've got to show up!