Halledoyah!

"Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, 'The Lord be magnified!'" (Psalm 40:16).

That verse will get a preacher a lot of "a-mens" on Sunday morning. It's a feel-good truth with a positive, upbeat tone. But look closer. There's a word in there that gives me pause.

While we praise the overall truth of this verse and want to sway with the choir as we sing it, that one word creeps in to convict us once we've shucked our choir robes and put on our regular attire.

While you look for the word, let me tell you a story. Two grandparents were keeping their potty-training grandson and were pleased when the boy emerged from the bathroom shouting praises. The grandson smiled, threw his hands to the sky, and shouted, "Halledoyah!"

The grandparents celebrated with their grandson's apparent accomplishment. But the grandfather did not recall hearing the toilet flush. So he went to investigate.

The grandfather soon returned to his recliner with a furrowed brow. The grandmother asked, "Why the long face? Did he make a mess?"

"No," grumbled the grandfather. "It was all praise and no offering."

The sobering word of Psalm 40:16 is the word, "continually." It's one thing to "rejoice" and "be glad" and "love salvation" and shout praises when life is good, bills are paid, and everyone's health is in check.

But "continually" means we keep up the same "halledoyahs" when life gets hard, bills get too high, and our loved one is surrounded by a medical team.

Job did it. He lost everything. His children, his home, and his employees were all wiped out. The only thing left was his less-than-adoring wife.

Apparently, she never read The Five Love Languages, because she looked at Job with a rolling pin in her hand, curlers in her hair, and a snarl on her face, and said, "Why don't you just curse God and die already?" (Job 2:9).

Job's answer, under the circumstances, is incredible: "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity" (v. 10).

Sure, Job grieved his losses and endured depression. But eleven chapters later, his faith still stood, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (13:15).

I have a long way to go. I have baggage and burdens that need to fit under the garage of my "halledoyahs." God needs to know that I will praise Him no matter what life brings. He deserves our praise no matter what our problems may be.

Closer to Continually,
Perry Crisp

Killer Voices

Enemy forces joined together and marched toward Judah in massive force. Multitudes of capable warriors were only miles away, ready to pounce on the weak, unsuspecting nation. King Jehoshaphat received very bad news from the JIA (Judah Intelligence Agency): "We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us, nor do we know what to do" (2 Chronicles 20:12). "Jehoshaphat feared" (v. 3).

When it seems defeat is inevitable, it always helps to remember these words from this same story: "The battle is not yours, but God's" (v. 15). Sure, Jehoshaphat feared. But the verse doesn't end there. Fear was the initial reaction, not the course of action. "Jehoshaphat feared, AND SET HIMSELF TO SEEK THE LORD."

By doing so, the king set in motion a series of events that required the direct involvement of God to explain the outcome. I love the outcome. "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" (v. 22).

Talk about the choir knockin' 'em dead! "When Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude (the enemy's camp or stronghold); and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped" (v. 24).

No, their singing was not that awful. Their God is just that powerful! Jehoshaphat and Judah understood something that we too easily forget: "You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow, go out against them, for the Lord is with you" (v. 17).

Look back at the first paragraph and read the first verse I quoted (v. 12). I must confess I didn't quite finish that verse. Hear the end of that statement now: "but our eyes are upon You" (v. 12).

When a people turn their fear into faith and choose to submit the situation totally to God instead of surrendering in defeat or sulking in despair, God rolls up His sleeves. And if you want to see God blow your socks off in the way that He works, keep your sword in your belt, and belt out some "hallelujah's" -- sing His praises -- and see His power!

There are so many keys to the victory that Jehoshaphat and Judah saw that day. Sure, when they "stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high" (v. 19), God moved in power and might. But before they stood to praise, they bowed their faces to the ground in God's presence and worshipped Him (v. 18).

What enemy has you in sight? What force greater than you leans heavily upon you? Remember what the true enemy of your soul wants you to forget: "The Lord is with you," and "the battle is not yours, but God's!" Oh, and remember this as well -- You have a killer voice whenever you sing God's praises.

Be warned, devil -- I'm about to become a one-man hallelujah choir!
Perry Crisp