Songs of Victory

Every time “The Patriot” comes on T.V., my husband watches it. He never gets tired of watching Mel Gibson wave the American flag in victory over the British in those final days of war. He went out in front of all of his men into battle and led them to victory. I love what 1 Chronicles 14:16 says about the Lord: “God has gone out in front of you in battle.” Our Lord Almighty is a chief warrior who goes before us and fights for us in all of our spiritual battles. As we all know, the Bible is a book about war and victory; good versus evil, love versus hate, life versus death and our ultimate destiny in the eternal realm of glory. Our great victory over the enemy comes through the Lord Jesus Christ, but there will be many wars and battles until the great Day of the Lord.
As we turn the pages of our Bibles from 1 Chronicles to Revelation, we find another reference to war in chapter twelve. Revelation 12:7-9 says: “…and there was a war in heaven…the great dragon was hurled down…Now have come salvation and the power and the kingdom of God.” The great dragon was not only defeated, but he was “hurled”! I picture the Lord taking the dragon by his tail, twirling him above his head, and hurling him at great speed until he crashes to the ground. Halleuiah! In Revelation 11, the twenty-four elders who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.’” In Revelation 12:10 a loud voice in heaven proclaimed these words: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God!”
It is these truths that have created the inspiration for so many great songs of victory that we sing. Those of us who worship the Lord God Almighty, who have been bought by the Blood of the Lamb and who have declared our testimony of his salvation, can sing the songs of the redeemed. Here are just a few phrases from our songs of victory that we sing on a regular basis: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits upon the throne…” “We’re singing glory, glory, halleluiah, he reigns!” “Behold he comes riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet call, lift your voice, it’s the year of jubilee and out of Zion’s hill salvation comes!” “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” “There is a Fountain, who is the King, Victorious Warrior and Lord of everything; my Rock, my Shelter, my very own, Blessed Redeemer who reigns upon the throne!” “Sing to the King who is coming to reign, glory to Jesus the Lamb that was slain; life and salvation his empire shall bring, and joy to the nations when Jesus is King. Come, let us sing a song, a song declaring that we belong to Jesus…lift up a song of praise, come now with voices raised to Jesus, sing to the King!” Let us celebrate our victory in Him, the One who goes before us in battle! Let us sing the songs of the redeemed!

Wisdom

Wisdom is one of the most valuable things we can possess, yet we can’t purchase it with a credit card or a personal check. James 1:5-6 tells us that if we lack wisdom, we can ask God for it and he will generously give it to us, if we truly believe that he will give it to us. Wisdom is obviously something that God wants us to possess because it protects us. I think about my own children and how I long for them to make good decisions so that they will bear the fruit of those good decisions. My children are at crucial ages in which the decisions they make could affect them for the rest of their lives. Our Heavenly Father looks out for us in the same way, but with even more love and compassion than we have for our earthly children.
I love reading the words of Solomon. At one time in his life he could have asked God for anything—riches, wealth, fame, etc. However, he chose to ask God for wisdom. God was so pleased with his request that he granted Solomon undeniable wisdom that we still read about today. As I have read through the book of Proverbs, I have been reminded of all of the benefits of wisdom. Here are just a few of the things that make wisdom so valuable:

• We will gain knowledge and a fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7
• We will gain understanding (Prov. 2:6)
• Discretion will protect us (Prov. 2:11)
• Wisdom will save us from wicked men (Prov. 2:12)
• Our paths will be made straight (Prov. 3:6)
• It will bring health to our bodies and nourishment to our bones (Prov. 3:8)
• We will be blessed (Prov. 3:13)
• We will walk in peace (Prov. 3:17)
• We will go on in safety (Prov. 3:23)
• Our sleep will be sweet (Prov. 3:24)
• We will not fear sudden disaster and ruin
Solomon refers to wisdom in “female” form in Proverbs 4. He restates the value of wisdom in this chapter. In his words to his son, he says: “Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Esteem her and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendor…When you walk your steps will not be hampered; when you run you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction; do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. ..My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, and keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life…” (Prov. 4: 10-23)
Oh Lord, give us wisdom so that we may enjoy the benefits that it brings. Thank you for generously giving wisdom to us when we ask for it. You are infinitely wise and your resources are available to us! We praise you for wisdom and the quality of life that it brings. Help us to trust in you with all of our hearts; to not lean on our own understanding; to acknowledge you in all our ways so that you will make our paths straight!
“For the LORD gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Prov. 2:6)

Pioneer Worship Leaders

In 1 Chronicles 6, we have a record of some of the first worship leaders in Biblical history. David put these men in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there. 1 Chronicles 6:32 says: “They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them.”
These men were called out in the Old Testament to not only be in charge of the music in the house of the Lord, but they were also set apart for prophesying in song accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. All of them were trained and skilled in music specifically for the purpose of worship in song in the temple. It is fitting that David, the ultimate worshiper, organized this group of talented musicians to carry on the worship in the tabernacle before Solomon’s temple was built. I wish I could have been there…ministering in song in Tent of Meeting where the ark dwelt.
This is a beautiful example to us who are vocalists, instrumentalists and musicians in our churches. Though we are not in the actual Tabernacle, Tent of Meeting or Solomon’s temple, we are in a sacred place and our music ministry happens in the presence of Almighty God. I would imagine that the ancient worshipers took their jobs seriously. There were specific regulations for them, and they were required to play and sing skillfully.
It is our responsibility to proclaim the glory of God through music. Psalm 66:1-2 tells us to “Shout joyfully to God all the earth; sing the glory of His name; make his praise glorious.” Psalm 119:172 says, “Let my tongue sing of Thy Word.” God’s purpose is clearly shown in Psalm 33:1-3: “Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre. Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.”
We can also encourage one another by using music. Ephesians 5:19 tells us to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to God.” Another way that music can be effective is by combating the enemy through spiritual warfare. In the heat of battle against the enemy, King Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and praise him in the splendor of his holiness…As they began singing and praising the Lord, He set ambushes against the men who were invading Judah and they were defeated. (II Chronicles 20:21-22) Our praise to the Lord silences the enemy of our souls.
As worship leaders and musicians in our church, we have the privilege and responsibility to encourage others through music, wage war against the enemy, and direct honor and praise to our Lord. He has given us both the desire and the ability to make music for him, and He wants us to glorify Him with our musical gifts. If it was important to God in the days of David to set apart musicians to lead out in worshiping Him, it is still important to Him today. I am thankful for a church where we can worship freely and contribute our musical gifts to Him on a regular basis.
Psalm 92:1 says, “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, Oh Most High!