By Lanette Black
How many of you can say you love the Lord? Do you love Him with all your heart, mind, soul
and strength? What about when everything seems to be going wrong? I love the Lord with all that I am, with everything in me.As His disciple, I know that I am chosen to be on mission for Him. The enemy also knows that. And when we decide to go wherever God sends us and to do whatever He calls us to do, the
enemy is tactical and he will come with all his crafty schemes, all his weapons of warfare and try
his very best to throw us off course!
We do not need to fear his attempts to discourage us. Why? Because our God is GREATER! He
is greater than anything the enemy throws at us!
1 John 4:4 says: You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who
is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Do you ever feel like you don’t have any fight left in you? That is how I felt not long ago. I was
so tired and weary; all I could do was cry out to God in tears and desperation. I felt overwhelmed with everything going on, not just with me personally but my loved ones were going through some tremendously hard things.
My oldest daughter was having some serious health problems, and she was very scared. Then I got a bad toothache and had to have a dental procedure performed that cost me a lot of money. A close friend was in dire financial straits with no means to correct the situation. My youngest daughter became ill with a virus. People I love lost close family members. My son was in emotional distress and there were many
other things happening all at the same time.
Then, I got quiet before the Lord. I began to understand what was happening.
John 10:10 says: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may
have life, and have it to the full.
If the enemy cannot steal, kill, and destroy, he will distract, discourage and try to deter us from
the plans God has for us. We must know what to do to fight the enemy. We worship the Lord!
Worship is a weapon! We put on a garment of praise!The enemy hates that!
Psalm 147:1 says: How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!
Psalm 145:1-3 says: I will exalt you, my God the King! I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.
We are God’s people, a fierce army, strong in the Lord! When we worship and praise Him even
in the hardest of times, we defeat every scheme of the enemy! God inhabits the praises of His
people!
Let’s look at the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho.
Jericho was the first city conquered by Israel, by God’s people after crossing the Jordan and
occupying the Promised Land. Jericho was a secure fortress with high, very strong walls. How
did Joshua and the Israelite army conquer Jericho?
God told Joshua to have the warriors march around the city for six days. The priests walked with
them blowing ram’s horns and carrying the ark of the covenant of God. On the seventh day. They
marched around Jericho seven times. Then, when given a signal, the priests blew their horns, and
the people gave a mighty shout! Then the walls of Jericho came tumbling down! The soldiers
went in and took the city!
Joshua 6:20 says: When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the
trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so, everyone charged straight in,
and they took the city. They defeated the enemy not with the normal weapons of warfare but with a shout of praise unto the Lord!
If you are tired and weary and wondering where God is in the middle of your hardship, praise
Him! Praise Him and You will be in His presence and in His presence is fullness of joy! Praising
and worshipping our Heavenly Father takes away the power of the enemy over our thoughts. It
takes the focus off our circumstances and places it on the only One who has not only the power
to change our situation, but more importantly change us and how we view our circumstances.
(Psalm 150, NIV) Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.
Father God, we come before You humbly thanking You and praising You for all that You are!
You are the only One worthy of all honor, glory and praise! No matter what our circumstances
look like, we want to keep our focus on You. Help us to remember Who You are and who we are
in You. Help us to remember that You can do all things, and You are not limited to just what we
can see with our natural eyes. May we come to know You in a deeper, abiding way as we walk
through struggles and adversity. May we draw closer to You and become more like You amidst
our trials. Keep our hearts and minds stayed on You as we turn our hearts and minds to worship
and not to worry. Thank You for holding us in the palm of Your hand, safe and secure, lavished
in Your love and blanketed in Your peace. In Jesus’ Precious Name, Amen and Amen!
