HIs Worship, Our Weapon

UV 944/10,000 His Worship, Our Weapon Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us! Nehemiah 4 v 20 In Nehemiah’s context, this uni-verse meant the trumpet that was sounded as an alert to rally the people to defend the wall they were building at the point of attack by their human enemies. But in our context today, it implies that we should join the angels who are blowing their trumpets and continually singing, “Hosanna, Hosanna to the Highest!” When we worship the Lord in this manner in the beauty of His holiness, clothed with His garments of salvation and saturated with the Word of God, “ Our God will fight for us!” His worship is our weapon, His Word is our goad and shield. Unseen by our physical eyes and unheard by our physical ears, the angels are constantly worshipping the Lord in our homes. Our spiritual eyes and ears should be pricked up and sensitised to pick up the strains of their songs and the sounds of their trumpets. We are never alone or helpless in our battles or the challenges we face in life. We only need to stand still, meaning to take a stand of faith, to be absorbed in praise and prayer. To take a stand of faith means to believe and to say, “ My God will fight for me. Why should I fear? What can man or satan and his agents do to me?” He is with us as an Immanuel, as an Ebenezer. We need not fear the obstacles or weapons or power of the foes or enemies we face in life. Just as Nehemiah’s volunteers rallied behind him as he undertook to build the walls of Jerusalem, we need to rally behind Jesus as He builds the church. Each of us should contribute our mite, our share of the labour. Just as the people of Israel under Nehemiah’s leadership were unfazed and unscathed, we too will be preserved and protected regardless of how formidable our enemies are. Just as the Israelites built the wall brick by brick, segment by segment, we too will build the Kingdom of God, brick by brick, segment by segment in the course of our lives. When God fights us for us, victory is certain for He is Jehovah Nissi, the God of Victory. His love is a banner over us. His Word is a standard that we carry always within us. The Egyptians said to themselves, “ let us flee from the face of Israel for their God fights for them.” They were so terrified that they gave their treasures of gold to the departing Jews. We will gain the spoils of victory without shedding blood. In every worthwhile task or project, opposition will rise against us but the Lord allows it so that He will wrest victory for us and so boost our faith further and His Name is glorified forever. Our enemies are declared to be the enemies of the Lord. When they attempt to hurt us, they are touching the apple of the eye of the Lord. Their burning arrows will be put out and fall short of their targets. They will be put out even before they are fired. Just as Nehemiah left a faithful record or memoirs of the challenges and battles he faced from within and without, we need to recall the struggles and victories the Lord gave us in our lives as a testament of God’s faithfulness to us. Prateep V Philip