Can you imagine a worship band that had 4,000 members? That would lift quite an amazing sound of praise heavenward, for sure!

And if you enjoy worship in any musical form, then say thanks to King David. For he is the one responsible for bringing instruments and joyful song into the sanctuary. However, this was not the first time he initiated such, it was just a more formal assignment of duties given as he passed on the reign of Israel to his son Solomon. 

It wasn't, of course the only job given to the Levites. Actually, 1 Chronicles tells us that they numbered 38,000 eligible to serve, and...
“Of these,” David said, “24,000 are to be in charge of the work on the Lord’s temple, 6,000 are to be officers and judges, 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with the instruments that I have made for worship.”

It was merely that we ought to stop and consider these numbers in reality, rather than just skimming over them. And because of my love for music, if I were among those numbered, I would have hoped to be assigned to the last group.

And to be given the opportunity to play an instrument that David himself made... how spectacular. This indeed must have been an amazing worship experience.

I am ever grateful to our God, for blessing us with even a drop of His creativity. For this is how we can return our praise, through creative worship.

What a sight that must have been!

How enormous would an angel have to be, to stand in the distance between earth and heaven? And to see his sword drawn... for one only draws a sword he plans to put to use.

This was an angel sent on a mission to destroy. Punishment for pride and sins of selfishness. Israel was turning from God. And King David no longer placing God first.

For he had requested a census; a count of all the troops he commanded. This angered God, as He does not wish we count... friends, followers, likes and pins. He justly asks that we only look to Him for our worth and not the opinion of others.

Lord, help us let go of the desire to please others. Let us not depend, nor count on their attentions. For this is a fickle way to live. Only Your opinion of us matters, and that is unchanging. For You love us dearly and deserve our Reverent Wonder!

When is it that we cry out to God?
When all else has failed?
When we have exhausted all our ideas and energies?

For though most of us haven't seen war firsthand, we still face battles daily. They may not be with weapons forged from steel, but with thoughts, emotions and inner strength.

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
Ephesians 6:12

And our God has given us armor for such battles. But even though we may be "aware" of it, we often leave the house naked and exposed... vulnerable to every problem which arises and person who offends, We struggle with the wonder of why God would allow this, yet resort to the old, "I guess I might as well pray."

But as we stand amid the mess of dying dreams and broken spirits, I wonder if God shakes His head looking back at the armor on the floor of our closet. Could we hand greater mess over to God to fix?

What if we, like these Israelites called out to God IN the battle? Or better yet, put on our armor before it begins, before we've exhausted ourselves with our ideas.

For God's help is divine, able to grant us extraordinary courage and success. He can deliver us from our enemies; even those thoughts which taunt us with lies of shame, fear and doubt.

When we put our trust in God, it is a bold confidence secured by His power. Then we no longer struggle in human strength and skill. Rather we are infused with all we need to stand victorious on the other side.

Let us lean on and rely on God, for He can be trusted to help us in, and through all types of struggles. He is our divine Help in Battle.

I bet it was a Monday.
That day that Jehoshaphat
got the news.

The news that three nations...
a great multitude, in fact,
was coming against
his much smaller kingdom.

That seems to be
how Monday's start.
Everything piled on at once.

Even gravity seems to get
a greater pull on me,
as things won't stay
in my grasp.

Maybe I carry too many
items in my hands,
tasks on my to-do today,
obligations that wrangle my week.

But fear keeps me from
leaving anything behind.
And fear keeps me from
stepping out ahead.

Sometimes fear keeps me...
just keeps me from getting started.

And that's where I think
Jehoshaphat was as well.

Then some came and told Jehoshaphat,
saying, “A great multitude
is coming against you from beyond the sea...
And Jehoshaphat feared,
and set himself to seek the Lord,
1 Chronicles 20:2-3

I guess they thought
they were helping...
the 'some' who came and told him.
But all it did was stir up the fear inside.

And Jehoshaphat feared...
But it's the next line I like the most.
For no matter his position,
king or common,
Jehoshaphat knew who he was first...
A child of God who needed help.
and set himself to seek the Lord,

I will admit,
that on these Mondays...
or any fearful times when I get stuck,
it's often because I forget who I am.
And I get stuck on that hamster wheel
inside my head.

The one that has me thinking,
reasoning, wondering, and working...
a way out of my situation
all by myself.

And I will admit,
it never gets me anywhere.
Except more tired on the hamster wheel.

So I am grateful to have
this example of a godly king
like Jehoshaphat that did it right
and set himself to seek the Lord.

And not only that,
but he set an example for his kingdom.
for they followed his example as well.

Jehoshaphat fasted and prayed,
and the people of Judah did as well.

This, the behavior of a king...
one who was used to power,
one who could rightfully
order people around,
and get anything for which wished...
humbled himself before God and
all of Judah, fasted and prayed.

This is an example I want to follow.
And God was faithful.
For He spoke through a descendant
of Asaph, a Levite...

Then the Spirit of the Lord
came upon Jahaziel...
Thus says the Lord to you:
‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed
because of this great multitude,
for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
You will not need to fight in this battle.
Position yourselves,
stand still and see the salvation of the Lord,
who is with you,...
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head
with his face to the ground,
and all Judah... bowed before the Lord,
worshiping the Lord.
2 Chronicles 20:14-15, 17-18

And the Lord told him,
Do not be afraid.

Now that sounds good...
but not always easy to put into practice.
But what I love, is that God
backed it up with more.

God acknowledged
this great multitude.
God let Jehoshaphat know
that He was in the middle
of this mess.
And that He was in charge
and ready to fight the battle for him.

But that did not give Jehoshaphat
the day off.

As much as I'd like my Monday off...
that's is not the message today.

God told him, that he and his men
would have to position themselves
in the battle lines.

But when they got there,
they would only have to stand.
For from that position,
from that stance,
they could see...
they could watch,
the salvation of the Lord.

Here was God, wanting to show off.
He didn't want Jehoshaphat to stay home
and miss all the great work of God.
But also, He wanted Jehoshaphat
to learn and grow in this by showing
his faith in God... his trust that God
would always take care of him.

And when Jehoshaphat heard this...
this good news,
he bowed down, with his face to the ground.
What a humble position
for a king to take.
A king who knew the fear of God.
A king who knew who he really was.
A child of God who needed help.

How grateful I am
that God has not changed
since that day,
since that battle,
since that moment.

For I too, am a child of God
who needs help.
And He tells me too, that I need to show up.
That I need to take my position.
and I need to stand.

Maybe I won't have a uniform to wear.
Maybe I won't hold a weapon...
but the battle is real.

And the war is in this world...
in a multitude of ways,
for my thoughts,
for my attention,
for my time,
for my self-image,
for my attitude,
for my finances,
for my marriage,
for my children,
for my purpose.

But God still says to me...
Do not be afraid nor dismayed
because of this great multitude,
for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
You will not need to fight in this battle.

So I will trust Him in the battle.
And if I can just stand,
then my enemy has no idea
what I'm thinking...
because I look battle ready,
just like Jehoshaphat's troops.

Then God can show up
and I can see the salvation of the Lord.
I can watch Him take care of me
in a multitude of ways,
for my thoughts,
for my attention,
for my time,
for my self-image,
for my attitude,
for my finances,
for my marriage,
for my children,
for my purpose...
even on a Monday.

Word of God,
train me, today...
to bow down to Your ways first,
to take my position at the battle lines
and stand,
to be armed and ready
with Your might armor,
and to know You fight for me
​as I praise You in the victory.

Oftentimes I find myself
pulling into my driveway lost in thought.
And then I shake my head and wonder...
How did I get here safely,
if I really wasn't paying attention?

But we simply have these amazing brains
given by God, with this sort of auto pilot
that kicks in and brings us home...
since it's a route we take
over and
over, and
over, and 
over.

And I wonder if that has any bearing
on why God sometimes gave the instruction
when He sent some of his servants out...
to take a different route home.

As if maybe...
He had something special for them
on the way back.
And He didn't want them
to get lost in thought,
or even find their mission routine
or ordinary, as it would happen
over and
over, and
over, and
over.

For so it was commanded me
by the word of the Lord, saying,
‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water,
nor return by the same way you came.’”
So he went another way and
did not return by the way he came to Bethel.
1 Kings 13:9 NKJV

Maybe it was God's way of protecting them.
But I wonder if maybe...
just maybe,
God didn't want them so comfortable
with the route,
that they began to think
they could get there all on their own.

Word of God,
train me, today...
to hold fast to the convictions You have placed on my heart,
no matter who tries to convince me otherwise,

to take a new route home, dependent on You in the change,
and looking for challenges and thrills along the way!