Praise 3

 

Praise 3

By Penny Williams

Not only are we to give praise to God because He loved us before we knew Him, but there are other godly reasons.

Turn to 2 Ch. Chapters 19 & 20.

God uses men to accomplish His purposes here on earth. King Jehoshaphat is to be remembered as a King who feared God.

King Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of Judah, reigning from approximately 873 to 849 BC. He was the son of King Asa and is remembered for his righteous leadership, military victories, and significant reforms during his reign. Jehoshaphat is particularly noted for his victory over the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites, which showcased his reliance on God. His commitment to following God's commands contributed to his success as a ruler. 

He is to be commended for tearing down all the idols in the land, set up godly judges and forewarned them to judge with a perfect heart, telling them that when they judge, do it as unto the Lord and when they judge, do it in fear of God. In other words, take their positions of godly leadership seriously.  He was clear about how they were positioned to work for God and worked for Him.

Without fail, it seems after we do something good and are headed in the right direction, evil stretches our way to bring our hope down. The Bible says in the first verse of Chapter 20 that the Moabites, the Ammonites with some Meunites decided to make war with King Jehoshaphat. The first thing he did was go to the Lord and then proclaim a fast for all of Judah. The people of every town in Judah were united and together they sought the Lord and when they were all together King Jehoshaphat gave a prayer in verses 20:6-12. He asked God to judge that army, and, in his prayer, he admitted he didn’t know what to do.

Can a person be humble, yet bold? Yes, that describes King Jehoshaphat. Men of Judah, their wives and children, were all there listening to his prayer. God saw his heart. “Then the Spirit of Lord” came upon Jabaziel son of Zechariah and a descendent of Asaph. He said,

“Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid: do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.”

 

King Jehoshaphat’s response?  He believed! He bowed down and everyone who was there also bowed down in worship before the Lord. Then, some of the Levites also believed from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and Praised, the God of Israel, WITH VERY LOUD VOICES!

Early in the morning they left for the desert of Tekoa. Jehoshaphat had something to say, “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. After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to Sing to the Lord and to Praise him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the Lord for His love endures forever.”

 

Vs 22 says: As they began to SING AND PRAISE, THE LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah and they were defeated. The Bible talks about how they destroyed each other.

 

This is your key to seeing and experiencing the power of Unity, Prayer, Faith and Praise.

Jesus asked if He would see any faith on earth when He returned. He also said that He is returning for a unified Church.

I ask you, “what is the opposite of love?”

Most people say, “hate.” But that isn’t so. The opposite of love is fear. Think about it. Fear of speaking up, fear of driving, fear of people, fear of what might be! All the what if’s you can imagine! What would people do if they saw you raise your arms and give God all praise from your heart? Why would you even care? They won’t save you; it is God who reads our heart.

Let’s be honest. What is stopping you?

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2Tim.1:7

 

I imagine when King Jehoshaphat was first told about the armies coming to make war with him in verse 3, he was quite alarmed. He may have felt a spark of fear. But he resisted all fear and with the faith that God gave to him, he followed through with proclaiming a fast and a prayer. Together, with everyone in unity, in one mind, and in faith, going out in high praises. God honored their trust in Him and they defeated the enemy.

 

Everyone you see is going through a tough battle. When we get our eyes off ourselves and begin to look around it makes our problems seem small. A small encouraging word that you have stashed in your heart might just be the very thing they need to hear to water their hope in Christ.

 

Never give up! May your New Year blot out all the former dark memories. Allow His light to shine everywhere you go and your words to be seasoned with grace.