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Praise and ...

 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. (Psalm 59:16)

They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: Put your trust in the Lord your God and you will endure. Put your trust in His prophets, and succeed.” When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His faithfulness is everlasting.”  When they began singing and praising, the Lord set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were struck down. For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, completely destroying them; and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

 When Judah came to the watchtower of the wilderness, they turned toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and there was no survivor. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoils, they found much among them, including goods, garments, and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were taking the spoils for three days because there was so much. (II Chronicles 20:20-25)

 

I have a friend who does a blog, of sorts, by sending a message through Facebook each morning. One of the things that amazes me about it is that she’s so positive and uplifting. She’s more positive and almost (or perhaps) always includes confession and praise in what she shares. I wish I could be more like her, but I also recognize that my style, while different, also meets needs. In other words, I’m not slamming myself, but I recognize the difference, and the fact that what she shares is needed.

And that’s why today’s passage was chosen. Part of a true Battle Bible must focus strongly on God – on His strength and majesty, His love, His protection and provision and on any and every aspect of who He is. Put simply, ours is a battle for truth, and battles for truth must be battles for more than one, tiny, aspect of truth. He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. We must value that Truth.

The passage from II Chronicles is a little long for a Battle Bible passage, I think, but so often, when we go to battle, we elevate the enemy. We think about how powerful it is – but it was as Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah praised the Lord that they found victory. Whether we find victory or are carried off like Daniel to serve the enemy, the Lord is still the Lord, and He is worthy of praise. If we forget that, the enemy has won.

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