I’ll never forget watching this young woman belt out her battle cry on America’s Got Talent.
My family and I were sitting in our living room relaxing. My husband was flipping through channels on the TV and landed on a replay of America’s Got Talent.
A young girl with cropped hair got up and shared her story about how she found out she had cancer, and all through her treatments, she played the song she chose to sing that day.
It was very profound, given her story—such a young girl to walk through such a huge storm. But she endured and came out stronger on the other side.
It reminded me of another story.
An alliance of nations was forming against Judah, threatening to crush it. You can imagine what the king must have felt at the moment he heard about what was happening.
Actually, the Bible says, “And Jehoshaphat was fearful …” (2 Chron. 20:3a).
Of course he was!
Who wouldn’t have a little fear in that moment?
But then it says this, “… and set himself to seek the Lord, and he called for a fast throughout all Judah” (2 Chron. 20:3b).
Instead of pacing the floor, wringing his hands and then going to consult his great military leaders, he sought the Lord and asked the nation to fast and pray with him for divine guidance.
The whole nation came together in corporate prayer and this is what we see in King Jehoshaphat’s prayer:
- A proclamation of God’s sovereign authority and power
- A remembrance of how God had delivered them in the past
- An acknowledgment of their helplessness apart from God’s divine hand
Jehoshaphat was a humble king.
He was not so impressed with his own title, “king of Judah,” that he could not stand before the entire nation and acknowledge the fact that his position didn’t give him supreme power.
He was king, but his power was limited.
He took a huge risk and acknowledged before the whole nation that apart from Almighty God, he was pretty much powerless in face of this alliance gathering against them.
And his humility positioned himself for this amazing word from God:
“‘Do not fear, nor be dismayed because of this great army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. … It will not be necessary for you to fight in this conflict. Take your positions, stand, and observe the deliverance of the Lord for you, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be filled with terror. Tomorrow, go out before them, and the Lord will be with you” (2 Chron. 20:15b, 17).
In Jehoshaphat’s moment of greatest humility and authenticity before the people, God gave him a promise of salvation.
Then he did an even odder thing—more risky than choosing to humble himself before the nation.
The next morning, they woke up and started out to prepare for battle. Instead of ordering his troops as one would for combat, he chose to put the worshipers on the front lines.
As the army marched into battle, the worshipers sang and praised the Lord, and the Bible says that ambushes went out against the alliance of nations and no one escaped.
The army of Judah arrived at a place where they could overlook the wilderness where the nations had gathered against them, and all they saw were dead bodies lying all around, and they had not even lifted a finger to fight against them.
Their fight song was a declaration of God’s mercy: “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever” (2 Chron. 20:21c).
I have a question for you.
What is your fight song?
Is there a song in your heart that declares the goodness, mercy and grace of God that you sing on those dark days when the enemy has gathered against you with a strategy to take you out?
Is there a song you sing to remind your soul and spirit that there is no reason to fear, because you will see the salvation of the Lord?
Is there a song that you can stand up and sing at the top of your lungs to remind the enemy that he is defeated and that Jesus Christ has already won the victory on the cross?
What is your fight song?
Maybe you have a whole list.
Throughout Scripture, we read of the power of worship. Jehoshaphat’s story is not a unique one. There are several accounts of how worship defeated God’s enemies.
And it still does today.
When we stand in faith and declare the sovereignty of God, remind ourselves of the great things He has already done, throw ourselves on His mercy, and then sing out.
Maybe our voice is a little wobbly at first, because maybe we have some fear, as Jehoshaphat did. Maybe we aren’t actually singing just yet, maybe our voice is just a whisper because our faith is literally the size of a mustard seed, but as we warble out or whisper those words, our faith will start to grow.
Soon, we’ll throw our hands in the air in a sign of victory, because as we’ve crested that hill, we look down and see our enemy on the ground.
Defeated!
Demolished!
What is your fight song? {eoa}
Rosilind Jukic Rosilind Jukic, a Pacific Northwest native, is a missionary living in Croatia and married to her hero. Together they live in the country with their two active boys, where she enjoys fruity candles and a hot cup of herbal tea on a blustery fall evening. She holds an associates of practical theology and is passionate about discipling and encouraging women. Her passion for writing led her to author a number of books. She is the author of A Little R & R where she encourages women to find contentment in what God created them to be. She can also be found at these other places on a regular basis. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +.
This article originally appeared at rosilindjukic.com.
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