I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever: I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Psalm 145: 1 - 3

Standing There

After months on the in-and-out of the hospital rollercoaster—summits of hope for healing followed by plummeting setbacks—a friend of mine, a strong woman of faith, lost her husband to cancer. In spite of the prayers of many for a miraculous healing, God said no. Her husband passed away less than a week after being placed in hospice care. What has been her response? Grief, certainly. Naturally. But something else, too. Something you might not expect.

Praise and worship of the God she loves and trusts. Not praise for her circumstances, but praise in them.

Thousands of years ago, when the people of Judah and Jerusalem were facing a mighty enemy army made up of the allied forces of three nations, Jahaziel, a man the Bible describes as "one of the men standing there" (II Chronicles 20:14), suggested a radical approach. The Holy Spirit came upon Jahaziel and prompted him to say to the people of Judah and Jerusalem and the king, Jehoshaphat:

Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions, then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!" (II Chronicles 20:15-17)

What was the king's response to this seemingly illogical advice? He bowed low with his face to the ground (vs. 18). And the people? They did the same, worshiping the Lord (vs. 18). And the religious leaders? They stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout (vs. 19). Everyone was on board! They knew it was God's doing.

Have you noticed how often God's plan doesn't seem to "make sense"? It's the principle of the Inverted Kingdom at work. So often what might seem like foolishness is exactly what God uses to rescue us from ourselves and our own planning and striving. It's his way of inviting us to a better place—a place of faith and trust in Him. After all, if we could logic our way through every dilemma, why would we need faith?

Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, "Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets and you will succeed." (vs. 20)

This pep talk echoes Jahaziel's words from the day before. So what did the king do next?

After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: "Give thanks to the Lord, his faithful love endures forever!" (vs. 21)

Wait, what? Singers? Not archers? Not seasoned, elite fighters or mighty men of valor? Jehoshaphat sent in the praise team? Are you kidding me? What in the world?! How illogical, how counterintuitive is that? We almost can't read on. We know what will happen next, yes?

            Nope.

At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. . . . Not a single one of the enemy. . . escaped. (vss. 23 & 24b)

Praise as the ultimate weapon against the destructive forces of evil? Imagine! Who knew?

Apparently, my friend knew. In the face of overwhelming loss and circumstances beyond her control, staring into the face of the enemy, death itself, she has chosen to offer praise and worship to the God she loves and trusts beyond all earthly circumstances. She could be described as Jahaziel was, simply as a person standing there. Her deliberate, Spirit-led acts of praise set her apart in our day as Jahaziel's did his. They are the acts of a person of faith. A conqueror.

Lord, may our circumstances find us the same.

Daye Phillippo

July 2018