God's Help in Times of Trouble

God’s Help in Times of Trouble
2 Chronicles 20:1-25
November 5-6, 2022   

As I mentioned last week, really there are different types of troubles. For example, there are the troubles that come of our own making. In other words, we made a wrongful decision, we did a foolish thing and it brought troubles to our lives. That, we all understand. I think in some way perhaps everyone has been there and done that. That's a whole category of troubles.

Then there are troubles not of our making. They come simply because we live in a broken, a hostile, difficult world. We need to understand that whether that trouble that came in our lives was from our own making or from the fact that we live in a broken world, God wants you and me to seek Him and to seek His help no matter where that trouble came from. You might say, "I don't deserve it if I did it myself. I don't deserve the help."

In fact many think that way. They don't turn to God for help because they don't think they deserve God's help and they think God's going to shun them. They think God's going to cast them out. You made the mess, you can just fix it. They think God thinks like that. He does not. Fine, let's give the Lord praise. Absolutely. I think it's important to recognize that God knows the way out. God knows the way out of that trouble.

I was speaking to a fellow one time. This is back in the days when the yellow pages were a thing, looking for a church, just looking for a pastor. He opened the yellow pages and saw us, "I'm calling that church." I need to talk to a pastor. He came down and we sat and he started telling me about all of his troubles. Oh my, so many troubles and I said, "Can I paint a picture for you of this? You've been planting the seeds of these troubles for many years. You've been planting the seeds. These decisions you've been making, have been the seeds. Now what you're seeing is that they've grown up and now you have a whole field of weeds."

I said, "I'm here to tell you, God is not the one who made that field of weeds, but He knows the way out of here. If you would rely on Him, if you would ask God's help now, He will show you the way out of this trouble. I said, "I strongly ask that you would humble yourself and ask God. He would love to answer you. He would love to help in time of trouble. You got to know God's heart." He said, "I will." I said, "Can we pray right now?" We actually got on our knees there in my office turned around on the chairs. I put my arm around him and I said, "You pray first." I had my arm like this on the chair in front of me.

I put my arm around him. Then he just started crying. I could feel his body just sobbing. His tears started flowing on my arm. My arm is getting wet. I thought, oh-- You know that Scripture, "He holds our tears in a bottle"? I thought, "That's precious tears right there. That's the tears of repentance. That's the tears of renewal." God was doing-- no matter where this trouble came from.

That brings us to 2 Chronicles 20. The story takes place in the southern kingdom of Judah. Jehoshaphat is reigning as king here in the South. Now he understands both kinds of trouble. Jehoshaphat made some very poor decisions. Now what's interesting is that the Scripture tells us that he did very well. Most of his life, he did very, very well. He pursued the ways of God in his life and therefore, God strengthened the kingdom in his control and He was blessed of God.

It's important to lay that down as the backstory. He did well. For much of his life, he did well, but he brought trouble upon himself when he decided to form this alliance with the king of Israel in the North. Trouble was, it was Ahab. If you know anything about Ahab, you know that he was anything but a good king, very wicked. Then Jehoshaphat went and made a marriage alliance. He arranged his son to marry Ahab and Jezebel's daughter.

Now, you want to talk about sowing the seeds of trouble, that's going to grow up into some serious trouble. Then in that alliance, he ended up in a battle that he should never have ended up in. He almost lost his life, but he cried out to God and God intervened, interceded and saved. He learned a valuable lesson. He learned from his mistake. That, by the way, is a valuable lesson unto itself.

After he came back from all of those troubles as he came back to Jerusalem, a prophet spoke to him, "Should you help those who hate God? Should you love those who are against Him? There is some good in you for you have sought God and He yet will do good in your life." He learned a great valuable lesson which is a valuable lesson into itself. To learn from one's mistake is a great lesson of life because I tell you, there are some people that are so stubborn that they refuse to learn any lesson from their life. Jehoshaphat did learn and that lesson would serve him very well.

Now in 2 Chronicles 20, he's facing a whole new set of troubles but these are not troubles of his making. It's a whole different kind of trouble. This is coming from across the sea. This is coming from across the river, armies of Ammon and Moab and Seir are coming against him and there's where great lessons come. Chapter 20, let's read it. We begin reading in verse one.

"Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon together with some of the Meunites came to make war against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat and said, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, the dead sea and the northern sea out of and behold they are now in Hazezon Tamar, that is to say, En Gedi and they're on this side of the water", in other words.

Jehoshaphat was afraid and he turned his attention to seek Jehovah, the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all of Judah. Judah gathered together, all of them, the whole people, all of them. They all gathered together to seek help from the Lord." He's calling a national day of prayer. He's calling a national prayer movement. All of them coming together to seek help from God. They even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the Lord.

"Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the Lord before the new court there in Jerusalem. He prayed, "Oh Lord God of our fathers, are you not God in the heavens? Are you not ruler over all kingdoms of all nations, power and might are in your hand so that no one can stand against you? Did you not, oh, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham, your friend forever--

By the way, that is still true today. God gave that to His people "--and they lived in it-- his prayer continues "-and have built you a sanctuary there for your name saying, Should evil come against us, sword or judgment or pestilence or famine, that we could stand before this house and we could stand before you for your name is in this house and that we can cry out to you in our distress and that you would hear and deliver.

Oh, now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir whom you did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, now they turned aside from them and did not destroy them. Now look how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from your possession which you have given to us as an inheritance. Oh, our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us nor do we know what to do. Our eyes are on you."

That was his prayer. That's a great prayer. All Judah was standing before the Lord. Now would you get the scene? He makes this great prayer. Then it says all Judah was standing there with their infants, their wives and their children. He makes his great prayer and he says, "We don't know what to do. Our eyes are on you." They all just stood there and quiet. They just stood there with their babies, the children. "We don't know what to do. Our eyes are on you."

They waited. They just waited. Then verse 14, "In the midst of the assembly, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph."

And he said, "Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat, listen. Thus says Jehovah to you, "Do not fear. Do not be dismayed because of this great multitude. For the battle is not yours. It is God's. Tomorrow, go down against them and behold, they will come up by the Ascent of Ziz and you will find them there the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. You need not fight in this battle. Station yourselves, stand, watch, see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf. Oh, Judah and Jerusalem, do not fear. Do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out to face them for Jehovah, He is with you."

Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground. Hearing this Word of the Lord, he bowed with his face to the ground and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. The Levites from the sons of the Kohathites and the sons of the Korahites, they stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a very loud noise.

Now they're praising God after they bowed on the ground, loud, loud, loud noise of praise. They're praising God with a loud voice and then they arose the next morning early, went

out to the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they're going out, see they rise early, they're getting ready to go out to the place where they can see the battle. Before they go out, one final word from Jehoshaphat verse 20, "Listen to me, O, Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord, your God, and you will be established, put your trust in His prophets, and you will succeed."

When then he had consulted with the people, listen to this. This is a very famous scene right here. This next thing that happens is very famous in the Bible. He consulted with the people. Then he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire as they went out before the army. He put out the worshipers, the worship team, massive choir, out in front of the army.

Then he said, now give thanks to the Lord. Sing it out, shout it out. Let the musicians and the singers get in front of the army and start shouting it and singing it and declaring it and give thanks to the Lord, for His loving-kindness is everlasting. They just started singing and shouting and praising and the music and the singers and it was loud because worship ought to be loud, and it was that way.

Then, when they began singing and praising, notice this, the Lord sent ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were routed. Now how they did that, how He set the ambushes, we presume that He set one against the other, confusion, rain in the camp for the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying them completely. When they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, then they turned on one another.

When Judah came to the lookout-- They had been marching all the way this morning. When they came to the lookout of the wilderness, they look toward the multitude and look behold, corpses, dead, fighting men lying on the ground. No one escaped. When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoils, they found so much among them, including goods, garments, valuable things which they took for themselves more than they could carry. It took three days taking the spoil because there was so much of it. That's our story. It's very famous in the Scriptures.

It's a great story filled with lessons for God's help in times of trouble. Let's start with this understanding in principle, face your troubles, face them, face on but face your troubles with faith. See, here's why I say that because there's a tendency in people to try to avoid dealing with trouble, try to avoid dealing with their problems. You might say, "We're just procrastinating." They avoid. Perhaps they think that they're going to go away if they just avoid them. You know what I found? I found that they actually get bigger when you avoid them. Anybody doesn't understand what I'm saying? They don't go away. They don't get any better. They get worse.

I. Face Your Troubles with Faith

Face your troubles head-on but face them with faith, believing that God not only will be, wants to be your help. He wants you to turn to Him. There's a whole thinking in some people it's like, "You're only turning to God because you're in trouble," to which I say, "At least you know where to turn when you're in trouble. There's a lot of people who don't know that." At least you're turning to Him now. God will welcome you. God won't turn you out.

If anyone understood troubles, it would have been David. David wrote this, Psalm 121:1-2. "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? I know. My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth." In other words, if He made heaven and earth by His great power, then by His great power, He can help. Jehoshaphat hears this report of this great multitude coming against him from beyond the sea. It was even reported that they had already encroached all the way as far as En Gedi. That's their land.

A. Seek the Lord first

This problem wasn't going away. This problem was coming after him. How Jehoshaphat responded to this trouble is the revealing of great principles of life. Notice, he sought the Lord first. Exactly right. Seek the Lord first. First and foremost troubles come, first seek God. It says verse three, "Before Jehoshaphat faced that, he turned his attention-" it says "-to seek the Lord" because he has seen. He learned this. This was the great lesson from his father Asa. No doubt he was there when that great million-man army from Ethiopia came against Asa, how Asa, his father had trusted in God called out to God and God brought a great victory.

He knew but then he also saw as his father, Asa, relied on his own cleverness when it came to the king of Israel in the north, and how God then send a word of correction. That word of correction was also a great promise. That's one of the most famous verses in the Bible. It's one of my favorite verses of all verses. 2 Chronicles 16:9. He was there when that Prophet gave this promise. "The eyes of the Lord search to and fro throughout the whole earth, to strongly support those whose heart is fully His, Shalom, fully His. In other words, God is looking. He's actually searching for people. He's looking for opportunity. He's looking for people who have a heart after God.

B. Seek help with a humble heart

I will strongly support the heart like that. He's looking for that. Amen. Jehoshaphat had taken hold of this lesson. Not only did he seek God first, he called a national prayer meeting. Then he called them to fast. Now, fasting is an expression of humility. In other words, there's the principle, seek help, God first but when you do, make sure you come seeking and asking with a humble heart. He called the nation to fast. Fasting is a way of humbling oneself.

The setting aside of the craving for food to seek God with a heart singularly focused on asking and seeking. I wish we had the time. There is such a deep theme that runs in the Bible, seek, seeking God but notice this in 2 Chronicles 7:14, where God gives this great word of great promise. Listen, He says, "If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray", you want God's help, great, you've come to the right place but notice.

"If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin. I will heal their land". Jehoshaphat, he stood there in the assembly, in the house of the Lord, at the porch of the house of the Lord and he prayed this very prayer. There is something so powerful about a prayer event where you gather whether it be a nation or a people, or a church or a family. There's something so powerful.

It reminded me we don't hear much about national prayer anymore, but I was remembering about in World War II when the Allied Forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, that while that was happening, the President of the United States at that time is FDR, led the nation in prayer. I want to just give you some of that prayer, but there's something powerful about a nation or a people.

His prayer went like this and this went out broadcast to the world but his prayer was this, "Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion, our civilization and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true. Give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need they blessings, Lord. The road will long and hard for the enemy is strong, he may hurl back our forces, success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again. We know that by your grace, Lord, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

Of course, he went on to more prayer than that. By the way, this Friday is Veteran's Day so it's very fitting to remember that prayer. Absolutely. Our church has gathered-- if you've been around very much, you know that we have these gatherings where we set aside a Sunday evening of worship and prayer. These are powerful times. When we announce we're going to have an evening of prayer, we always say all services, all families, our hands on deck, we're going to pray.

There's something powerful about praying as a body together, calling out to God, crying out, interceding on behalf of this broken nation, for this troubled world on behalf of those we know in love who need God in their lives. This prayer of Jehoshaphat, is an example of how to pray. If you're taking notes, please important, note this, his prayer. Number one, declare God's power over the trouble. This is a great example of how to pray. Number one, declare God's power over the trouble.

Verse 6, notice, "Oh, Lord, God of our fathers, are you not ruler over all the kingdoms and of a nations? Power and might are in your hand and no one can stand against you." This is important. See, declaring God's power when you are facing great troubles, be reminded again of who God is in the greatness of His power so that you would put the perspective of your trouble and the the perspective of who God is in your life. Declare God's power over the trouble.

Number two, remember what God has done in your life. Remember, look back. Verse 7, "Did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land for your people? Did you not give it to the descendants of Abraham, your friend? Have you not done all of that, Lord?" See now that's an important aspect of prayer because when you look back on your life, do you have a history with God? Can you look back on your life and remember all the times that God made Himself known powerfully in your life? I'll tell you, I have a history with God. Amen. God has made Himself known over and over. God has proven Himself. Anybody else agree with me? Let's give Him praise. He has proven Himself.

See, it's important when you are praying in those times of trouble, be reminded. Remember what God has done. Be reminded. You have already proven yourself. God, I look back on my life. You have done this and you've done that and then you revealed yourself here and you've done it before.

Then number three, proclaim God's name your life. Notice verse 9, "Your name is in this house." I love this part of the prayer. "Your name is in this house and you said that we could cry out to you in our distress and that you would hear, and that you would deliver." See, your prayer and min in times of trouble could be very much like that. Your prayer and mine could be like this, "Your name is in my heart. Your name. You have put your name on my life." Did God put His name on your life? You look at the Scriptures, I'll tell you, He did. God has put His name on your life because He's the Father, you're the son. That makes you related. There you go.

You say, I'm a son. How? Yes, you are a son. You are a daughter, by adoption. He has brought you into a relationship whereby you have been adopted so that you can call God your Abba, Father, the most beautiful, intimate way for a child to call his Papa. That is the relationship that God has with you so that you can proclaim God's name on your life. Do you not have a relationship to Him by which you can claim that name? Your name is on my life. You are my Father. This is the right way to pray when you're in trouble, you are my Father. I'm coming to you because you're my Father.

C. Wait on the Lord

I am your son. I'm your daughter. I'm crying out to you because you're my Father, because I know that as my Father, you'll hear and you will deliver, that you'll help in time of need because I know this. Then, okay, great prayer and then here's this principle. Wait. Wait on the Lord. Great prayer. Come to Him. Come to Him first. Seek Him, pray and then wait. Notice verse 12. "We are powerless before this great multitude. We do not know what to do."

Have you ever had a problem so great, you didn't know what to do? I have. I've had trouble so great I didn't know what to do. That's a great prayer right there. "We are powerless. We do not know what to do. Our eyes are on you," and then he waited. They stood there with their babies, their children, just quiet. "Our eyes are on you", holding the babies. Don't move until God has given direction. Don't move until you feel the leading and the peace of God in your life. Don't move. You'll make a mistake. Don't move.

Isaiah 40:28-31. The whole chapter is amazing but listen, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? It is He who gives strength to the weary and to him who lacks might, He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired and vigorous young men stumble, yet those who wait for the Lord, they will gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, they will not get tired, they will walk and not faint." Now, that is a tremendous verse of promise.

II. The Battle Belongs to the Lord

Wait. You're in trouble, you pray a prayer like that based on those things and then you wait, then comes the answer, "The battle belongs to the Lord." They were standing there waiting. Then in the midst of the assembly, the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of their leaders who answered, "this is the word of the Lord" verse 15, "Thus says Jehovah to you, "Do not fear, do not be dismayed because of this great trouble", this great multitude. By the way, that is a great principle. God will say, I believe, I think God will say the same thing.

Don't be afraid, don't be dismayed. I know this trouble is great. I know you don't know what to do. Don't be afraid. I promise you, I'll be with you. Don't be afraid. Fear will turn you in places you don't want to go. Don't be afraid. Don't be dismayed for the battle is not yours. It's God's. Verse 17, "You do not even need to fight in this battle, station yourselves. Stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf."

A. Firmly stand and you will be supported

God is promising to deliver them and that the battle belongs to the Lord. That they only need to station themselves and watch and wait for the salvation of Jehovah. Now, as we know from this story, God sent the armies of the nations into confusion and they attack one another while the armies of Judah came upon this scene and they were lying before them, these men who had been slain.

Now this is a powerful example of how God can move in your behalf. Now, let me just add to the story, God does not always move the same way. This is one of the ways, but God does not always move the same way every time in every circumstance. It's important to recognize that. This is one of the powerful ways that God has moved but that's why you pray and that's why you wait, that's why you ask for God to reveal Himself in your particular circumstance. There are many different ways that God may bring victory, that God may bring help. For example, God may strengthen you in the midst of the trouble. David is the one who wrote, see, "By my God I can run upon a troop."

David is the one running up on the troupe. He's not standing while God does it. In David's case, he's out there in the thick of the battle believing that God is the one who strengthens him. By my God, I can leap over a wall. He trains my hands for battle so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. He strengthens me in the midst of that then he says, "Your help makes me great." There's one example of how God can help. God can rescue by you being in the thick of the thing and God's strengthening you in the thick of the battle but here is an example where God may tell you not to fight at all. Stand by, watch as God does it. God's going to do it. God's going to move in your behalf.

I tell you, you do a study through the Scriptures, you would actually find quite a number of examples where God says, you do not need to fight in this thing. God will do this thing. There are examples like David where he will strengthen. No, you are in it. You are in the middle of it. God's strengthening you for it but here, there are many examples like this. No, don't be in it, stand by and watch. There's an interesting scene that unfolds later on in the history of Israel when the army of Syria surrounded the walls of Jerusalem and their captain called out to the people selling on the wall but the King had given a word of instruction. "Do not answer him. Do not answer him a word."

That was God's instruction. Not only are you not going to engage in this battle, you're not going to say anything either. Sometimes silence is the most powerful answer. See, God may bring help in many different ways. I have seen God do amazing things revealing and helping. One of the ways that I've seen God help is by bringing things to my mind when I'm praying. Here's an example. Just this last week. Many of you know, of course, we're doing a construction project and we're about ready to undertake a big part of the project where there's a lot of wood framing and I was meeting with the framings contractor.

I said, "Oh, this section here, there's a steel beam there." He said, yes let me be clear, "I don't do steel, I do wood." "Well, the architect calls for a steel beam there." "We don't do steel." "Okay. I need to find someone who can do steel?" "Correct." By the way, they're about six months out. What? This is not good. I just went to my office. "God, what are we going to do? We can't put this whole thing on hold for six months. What are we going to do?" I texted a friend like, "Do you know anybody that does steel?" He's, "Well, I can put some feelers out, but no."

I thought, "What am I going to--?" I'm sitting and praying, "God, what am we going to do?" This thing came to my mind. "Well, 15 years ago when you remodeled, there was a guy who did steel." "Well, yes, that's right. I wonder if I can still find--" I didn't know who he was. I couldn't remember who he was. Where are my notebooks? There were notebooks from the last thing we did. Can I find my notebooks? I asked one of the team to go and they went and found the archives in some musty dusty closet, and they, "Oh, we found some notebooks" and "Oh, good." I started thumbing through, "Oh, here is the page with the steel." Found in 30 seconds.

I call him. 15 years ago, "Dennis." "Yes." "You answered your phone. This is Rich at Calvary Chapel." "Oh, Rich, how are you doing?" I say, "You remember me?" "Sure. Looks like you're doing a construction project." I go, "Really? You know about that?" "I track you. I follow you." "Lord, you're good." He says, "Need some steel?" You are the man.

There was another time. Many of you know God miraculously provided for me to be able to go to Bible college. It was nothing short to miraculous and I'm now going to Bible college and God miraculously provided, but we still were-- I was making very little money as a part-time youth guy and we got to a point where we were out of money and we were out of food.

I remember I was sitting at the cafeteria eating my last peanut butter and jelly sandwich on heels. I know. Wrapped in aluminum foil so I could reuse the aluminum foil. I know, and this is my last sandwich and I said, "God, we're out." You know what, I tell you, an interesting thing happened. I actually got excited because I thought, "You know what this means? This means you're going to do a miracle. That's what that means. That means you're going to reveal something. That's what that means. I know this one. I know that God's going to do something."

I'm like, praying, "God, what are we going to do? What am I going to do? We're out. We have nothing." Then I remembered. This came to my mind and I said, Oh, there was this older woman who needed someone to chop wood and wanted some of the youth to come and chop wood. I called, her name is Mary. I called, "Mary, did anybody ever cut your wood for you?" "No, dear. No one ever did." I said, "Well, the winter is coming. Would you like me to come chop your wood for you?" "Oh, that would mean so much to me, dear. Thank you so much." "Are you still paying $20?" "Yes I would love to do that, dear." "Oh, thank you."

I'll tell you what, that was the most glorious wood shopping job ever because $20, now, this is a few years ago back in the '80s, that goes somewhere. Then, okay, I'm chopping the wood and everything. Then a couple days later in school, someone came up to me and he said, "Hey, there's an opportunity for someone to manage these apartments where you can get like free rent and free utilities and a small monthly stipend. Are you interested in that?" "Oh, yes, I am."

God can answer in all manner of ways, but then there's this back to our story. In 2nd Chronicles:20, a principle is unfolded, "Firmly stand--", Jehoshaphat says as they wake up the next morning, they get up early and they're about ready to march to the place of the battle, they overlook and he gives a speech. When they wake up before they march off, he gives this speech. Verse 20 but in this speech, he says, "If you will firmly stand, you will be supported. You will be established."

They rose up early. "Listen to me, oh, Judah, put your trust in the Lord. You will be established." You will be supported. It's an interesting play in words there as you see the Hebrew, it's like firmly rely on His support and you will be a supported, like firmly lean and you will be supported, firmly trust and you will be established. "See, for the eyes of the Lord are searching for those whose heart is holy after Him, that He might strongly support them."

He's like looking for people that He can strongly support. You don't have to try to wrestle this out of heaven. You don't have to try to somehow convince Him. He's looking for opportunity. Isaiah 41:10, "Do not fear--" this is God speaking. "Do not fear, I am with you." That's why you don't be afraid, because I'm with you. Don't anxiously look about you, anxiously, anxiety. Don't do that. Don't have anxiety as you-- No, because I am your God. Do you not know?

Listen, "I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you." That's the same thing. "I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. I will support you." See, when you've walked with God long enough, when you've walked with God through many troubles and you've seen that, you've seen His strong support, you will begin to rely upon it. You will build life on that foundation. You will strongly rely and He will strongly support. You will be able to say, "I know my God."

Next time when you enter a trouble, when you get into a great difficulty, you will be able to say, "I know my God, I know how He moves. I know my God, I know He rescues. I know He saves. I know He delivers. I know my God."

B. There is power in praise

Then there's this, it will end with this. There is power in praise. They get up early. He gives that speech and then he gets the the musicians and the singers out in front of the army and they begin to praise as they head out of the camp, singing and shouting, praising. "When they began--", it says, Verse 22, "When they began singing and praising, that's when the Lord did it. That's when the Lord set the ambushes and set them upon themselves, it's when they began to sing, when they began to praise. There is power in praise.

Why is worship, the singing, of the words of God, why is that so important, because there's power in it. That's why. It's giving expression to your relationship to Him, your trust in Him, your faith in Him and so when he put the singers and the musicians out in front, He said, "Get in front of the army and I want you to give thanks to the Lord and give thanks because His loving kindness is everlasting.

Would you notice this? Would you notice that they worshiped before the victory? Some people-- I'll give you thanks after you've done it. I'll give thanks after you've rescued. If you prove yourself to me, then I'll worship. I love this example because they set out to worship before there was even a victory at all because I know it. Your loving kindness is everlasting and my response to you is not dependent on how you move. I trust you no matter what happens my life. Though He slay me, yet I will trust in Him. He is mine and I am His and there is no other. Amen. Let's give him praise.

Father, we are so thankful to you. You are amazing. What great truths are these? God we take hold of them to live them, to abide in them. Church, how many today would say to the Lord, I give you praise for I know that your loving kindness is everlasting. You've already proven yourself to me and I will rely on your help for there is no other rock on which I stand. I will rely on your help because there is none other, there is no other rock, there is no other name. There is no other God. I rely on you and you alone.

Church is that your heart? Would you say that to the Lord by just raising your hand as a prayer, as a declaration? I just want to say it. There is none other, you've already proven yourself to me. I will stand on this rock. I will build my life upon it. God, we honor you and we thank you now in Jesus' powerful name and every--