Worship Before the Win

A song I have been thinking of since Sunday is "God My Rock" penned by Brenton Brown and Paul Baloche.  The lyrics are as follows:

When my heart is overwhelmed

I will look to You alone

God my rock, God my rock, God my rock

You will stand when others fall

You are faithful through it all

God my rock, God my rock, God my rock

In the blessing, in the pain

through it all You've never failed me

You are the strength of my heart

You are the strength of my heart

I can rely on You, I can rely on You

You are the joy of my life

You are my song in the night

There is no one as true

Jesus I trust in You

When I've struggled to believe

You have not let go of me

God my rock, God my rock, God my rock

Carried through the darkest storms

You have held me in Your arms

God my rock God my rock God my rock

It is good when the child of God understands that "in the blessing, in the pain" are not contradictory but complimentary.  We do not often think of pain as a blessing, yet consider the blessing beyond reckoning we have received through the loving sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.  With full knowledge of the physical pain which awaited Him, Jesus for the joy that was before Him endured the cross (Hebrews 12:1-3).  When the pain is overwhelming and chronic, even then God remains good.  A child of God by faith can endure and remain steadfast and strong when resting in the promises of God.  David wrote in Psalm 27:13-14, "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"

When we are overwhelmed by pain, trials and feelings of impending doom, we forget the blessing we have in God at all times.  We imagine we are alone and no one can understand or appreciate our suffering.  A good example of what to do when overwhelmed is provided by King Jehoshaphat when mighty nations united against Judah to attack.  Jehoshaphat admitted before God and all the people, "We don't know what to do God, but our eyes are on you."  At that moment the Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah who reminded the people the battle is the LORD's and they would not have to fight at all in this battle.  Before the battle had been fought it was already won by the victory of faith because people knew God was with them.  A multitude of enemies prepared to attack them, and the people fell on their faces before God in worship and praised Him.

2 Chronicles 20:20-22 reads, "So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." ²¹ And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: "Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever." ²² Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated."  The people demonstrated faith in God by obedience to His word to go up against an army they could not defeat, and they praised God and worshiped God as victors before they won.  Isn't this an example we can talk to heart, that we exhibit and demonstrate faith in God by worshiping the God our Rock who we trust, who fights our battles, who carries us through the darkest storms, the One who never lets us go?