"Joy In The Battle"

"And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord." Psalm 27:6

What a contrast! Usually when we are facing an enemy, or in the heat of the battle, we tend to moan, groan, complain, get negative and be fearful. Here the Psalmist demonstrates quiet the opposite. Instead he is singing, praising and shouting for joy. Is it possible? Can you have joy when facing a battle? Can you sing praises in the face of your enemy/adversity? Can you still offer sacrifices to God when the battle doesn't let up?

The answer, of course, is "yes". This whole Psalm is about facing enemies and being in battles, and it begins with, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (verse 1) The very first two words give us the key- "the Lord".

The key to having a victorious attitude instead of a defeated one depends on what you focus on. If you are focused on the battle/enemy, it will also look bigger and stronger. It will always look like the "winner". But if you focus on the Lord, the battle will seem so small and winnable. The Israelite army was defeated before ever even engaging in the actual battle. Why? Because their focus was on Goliath- the enemy. They were discouraged and fearful because of his size. David, on the other hand, was already victorious before he went to the battlefield to face Goliath. Why? Because he focused on his God. He saw his God as bigger and more powerful than this enemy.

God is bigger. He is more powerful. He is stronger than any enemy that comes our way- no matter how big they may appear or how intimidating they may look. You know, whatever you focus on becomes bigger and stronger. By focusing on your enemy, you are actually making him bigger, thus giving him more power over you. But when you focus on God, you not only make Him bigger in your "eyes", but you realize the truth-- He is bigger.. always has been and always will be.

Have a great day. It is possible to shout for joy and sing praises to God during the battle... it just depends on where you are focused.

For further reading:
Psalm 27
Isaiah 66:1
Psalm 24:7-10
1 Samuel 17