the singers

On the frontline of the battle, the songs march.

Sometimes my heart just doesn’t know how to do battle anymore. Forget the thought of fighting, just standing my ground gets wearying. Natural disasters internationally. People displaced in proportions I cannot fathom. My country quaking with anger. Children I love berated. Then watching ones I love run, unbeknownst to them they take my heart with them, but I heave cry silent. Not to mention my own self-reliance and fear. Go to battle? Fight? I have no idea how to with these things. I feel stuck…

But there is this amazing thought in the Old Testament that when enemies came, they sent singers out in front of the army to battle. It’s easy to gloss over Scripture and not actually stop and think about it. But that is a crazy thought! They had no weapons…or did they? They couldn’t fight…or could they?

Our enemies can come from the world around us too, but also our own flesh (habits learned apart from Christ) or the Enemy himself (Satan) and his dark forces. And the reality of the spiritual battle we are in is not just a fringe weird thought, that is the reality (Ephesians 6:12).

So on the frontline of the battle, the songs march. And rather than ending in catastrophic defeat, there is victory. Rather than being hopeless or stuck, there is a way out. The way (John 14:6).

“he (King Jehosaphat) appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.’ When they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed.” (2 Chronicles 20:21b-22)

Could even now, the singers appointed by the Lord, lead the way in battle and see victory over sin in our hearts? And then see worship of God once more in the hearts of people? And then see the unimaginable happen around us?

Oh to see deliverance given by the Lord and then our hearts turned back to Him!

So now, I know that very practically, one of my roles is to help singers get to the front lines. And when I myself don’t know how to fight, I will sing and stand and see the deliverance of the Lord. Because He will fight for His children. And He is victorious.

So sing brave ones. With all the holy defiance you can muster, sing. Sing into the fight when you can’t stand. Sing to stand. Sing to advance.

“O sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.” (Psalm 98:1)