“Likewise, you that are younger, submit yourselves to the elder. Yes, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble” (2 Peter 5:5).
I remember when I was a young believer that I had a little difficulty receiving respect as a Christian leader. Those younger than I respected me, but older folks just felt that they knew more than me. As the years passed I earned a little respect from them along the way.
Now that I’m older, I’m finding the respect issue swinging a little the other way. Now the older folks respect me and the younger seem to question the respect thing.
The truth is here in this verse. Age has nothing to do with spiritual maturity. God is doing a new thing and those of us who have been around the block in Christianity might not recognize the new thing God is doing with others. But we must trust the Holy Spirit in our brothers and sisters, so stay clothed in humility, for God gives grace to the humble.
Yesterday we talked about the singing of praises that moved God to set up ambushes against the invading armies. Today I’d like to blog about the song they sang. “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‘” (2 Chronicles 20:21).
Notice, these men were “appointed” by the King. Every believer has been appointed by King Jesus to praise our Lord. God’s holiness is a thing that finds little respect in this world of compromise. But its His holiness that covers our sin. He deserves to be praised.
There’s another spiritual lesson here. The singers went out “at the head” of the army. Praise activates angels to be dispatched on our behalf. The church has lost this powerful concept.
Notice also what they sang about: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever“. There is something powerful and spiritually militaristic about thanking God in unison and declaring that God still loves us. It wins our battles without a shot being fired. Believe and practice this and it will change your life.
2 Chronicles is a book of the history of Israel and Judah. Near the end of Jehoshaphat’s reign as king, there was a coalition of nations that invaded Judah. The king appointed singers to sing praise to the Lord. “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” (2 Chronicles 20:22).
This isn’t just a history lesson about how God used to work. This is a lesson on how powerful praise can be to the Lord. Not just any song, mind you. The song that moves mountains is a cry from the heart. And in response to this singing of praises, God mysteriously moved behind the scenes and set up ambushes (whatever they were, we’ll never know) which defeated the enemy.
I’m praying God sets up ambushes for the spiritual powers that try to trip you up. And I pray you find the grace to sing that song of praise from the depth of your heart. I’m praying this because God still works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.
The Psalms can be really inspiring. Consider this one: “How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people” (Psalm 116:12-14).
Have you ever considered how you will repay the Lord for His goodness in your life? There is no repayment because there really is no measurement. But what we can do is keep telling others about this cup of salvation that has changed our lives. And, we can stay connected to Him by spending time in prayer. And, we can keep our promises to Him publicly. How can you do that today?
Sunday afternoon Anita and I went with Adam and Layna to see ‘Man of Steel’. A lot of graphics in 3-D that were neat to watch, but pretty intense. They used an excessive amount of violence and destruction for the storyline, in my opinion. Definitely not a kids’ movie. But they put some creative spins on the traditional Superman theme that made it interesting. It had a good amount of romance and intrigue, and held my attention.
Just as the Superman character had a weakness (Kryptonite), so each of us also has a weak spot. If Satan can discover (or uncover) that weakness, he will immediately go after us in that area. That’s why I keep my tempt-able areas to myself. To voice them is to acknowledge it to Satan. I just have to stay away from Kryptonite in my life, because it weakens me further.
Can you identify your tempt-able areas? Stay away from the Kryptonite because its deadly for your soul.
Today is Anita and my 39th wedding anniversary. We attended several prayer meetings together, but I remember our first official date. It was a double-date with Larry and Elaine Warstler, and we drove to the Indiana Dunes State Park. It was later in the year and pretty chilly. The beach was nearly empty.
But we still waded in the chilly water in our barefeet and had some laughs together. And it was the beginning of a great relationship.
Happy Anniversary, Anita.
Anita and I on our first date, Indiana Dunes 1972
In Deuteronomy, God was speaking to Joshua, the new leader, through Moses. He continues: “And the Lord, He it is that does go before you; He will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8). Pay attention to what the Lord promised:
1. “He will be with you“. God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. We don’t go into our battles alone. He is always right there beside us.
2. “He will not fail you“. Isn’t that what we’re really afraid of? That God will not be there when we really need Him. This is what walking by faith is all about. Even if I stumble, God will not fail me. I just have to trust Him.
3. “He will not…forsake you“. No matter how you mess up, God will not abandon you or turn his back on you. Although we turn our backs on Him, He will never do that to us.
4. “Fear not, neither be dismayed“. We don’t have to be confused because we do not have to understand. When tough things happen, we know God is up to something good. Stay optimistic! He “goes before you“, meaning He’s already there.
