Daily Devotional | Praise Before Deliverance

When trouble arises, is our first reflex to look to God, to worship and praise Him before anything else? If we are honest, our tendency is to make plans first on how to “fix” the problem or take action. But how often do we worship and praise God before He has answered our prayers?

King Jehoshaphat did! Before facing the enemy, he appointed singers to the front of the army, headed for battle, to “sing to the LORD and to praise him” (v. 21). Any reasonable person would say this is a foolish strategy. Why did this leader do that? Earlier in the chapter, we see that Jehoshaphat’s first response to trouble, like so many of the righteous in Scripture, was to humble himself and pray. He was “alarmed” and “resolved to inquire of the LORD” (v. 3). His private prayer then led to a public one before the assembly in the Temple courtyard. Here we read the prayer of a man who acknowledged that true power does not come from within us but from the One to whom our eyes look (v. 12).

Only then did Jehoshaphat exhort his people to action: “Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you” (v. 17). In other words, be faithful in what God has given you and be steadfast, knowing that the victory has been won. Is it possible to have a bad day if we truly live like this?!

Even in uncertainty, they continued to worship and praise the Lord and build one another up for the battle ahead (vv. 18 20), with the choir and worship team leading praise at the head of the army. While it is easy to praise after answered prayer, may we extol the Lord at all times, for “his praise will always be on my lips” (Ps. 34:1).