Today’s Devotion
Topic: The Power Of Praise!
Text: 2 Chronicles 20: 20- 29
20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “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.”
21 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 head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”
22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 23 The Ammonites and Moabites rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
24 When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. 25 So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value—more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it.
26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berakah, where they praised the Lord. This is why it is called the Valley of Berakah (meaning PRAISE) to this day.
27 Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28 They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets.
29 The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. AMEN
When Judah was threatened to war by the enemy, the whole nation was united in prayer till the Lord spoke and told them the battle is His. He also urged them to take up their position, stand firm and go out to face the enemy.
From that time, Jehoshaphat appointed singers to lead a procession in praising God. The army was only to follow after the choir. This was their own way of TAKING UP POSITION, STANDING FIRM AND FACING THE ENEMY IN BATTLE. God never gave them this military strategy, they just probably knew that there was no better way to let God lead a battle than to praise Him all through.
As they praised, confusion broke out in the camp of the enemy. They killed one another and only left the plunder for Judah to collect.
Beloved, why don’t we also learn to let God lead all our battles? He is the mighty warrior who knows no defeat nor surrender. Ours will be to praise Him as God, and leave Him to handle the battle. He will defend us on every side through our praise and defeat every foe for our sake.
No matter what you are going through this morning, rise up therefore, join the procession of “praisers” who have learnt to praise God even in the middle of the storm and also ahead of the victory they desire. They always win AND SO MUST YOU.
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