Every day, music plays.

Every day, melodies fill the air.

This week, a student said, “I play the saxophone.

Another student said, “I sing, and I especially enjoy singing the Gospel hymns.”

Finally, a third student proudly said, “I play seven instruments.”

SEVEN!!!!

I play zero instruments.

I sing, not well.

I have little rhythm.

Music does not become me; however, music fills my ears every day.

Go with me, back to 1982.  I was sixteen.  Maybe you were alive.  Maybe you were just a hope, a prayer, a future-born child.

1982 was the year I learned to drive.  My dad was my teacher.

Driving is one of the greatest pleasures of my life.

I love the feel of the steering wheel in my hands.

I love the feel of the speed.

I love the way driving can transport a person from one place to another.

I really dread the day I can no longer drive.

In my retirement, I hope to take a job—driving.

Unfortunately, at age fifty-five, my back aches every time I sit in my vehicle & drive.

So sad…………(but I digress).

See a vehicle.

See a person driving.

Hear the sound of music.

Hear the beat that comes from the music playing.

In 1982, the year my dad showed me how to drive, I clearly remember his instruction.

Do this.

Do that.

Don’t do this.

Don’t do that.

Be mindful of other drivers, other vehicles.

Focus.

Don’t be distracted.

Once you finish driving and return the vehicle home, be sure to turn off ALL THINGS working inside the vehicle:  the wipers, the heater fan, & of course, turn off the radio.

Dad said it.

I believed it.

I practiced it.

Enter my husband.

Enter my husband who learned to drive inside another household, with another dad.

See my husband perplexed.

Hear my husband say, “Why do you do that?”

“Do what,” I asked.

“Turn off everything BEFORE you turn off the car.”

“Why do you leave the fan blowing air, on high?  &  Why do you leave the radio blaring before you turn off the ignition,” I asked him in reply.

Two households.  Two ways.  Two, not One.  Who is Right?  Who?

Now, today, you may be reading and wondering, “What in the world?!!!”

“Has she lost her mind?!!!”

The answer is easy:  “Probably.”

The answer to the question:  MUSIC….& How We Can Overcome—Is so clear.

The ANSWER to the QUESTION:  Can God defeat an army, a foe, an enemy, a struggle, a barrier—JUST THROUGH OUR PRAISE, OUR WORSHIP, OUR MUSIC lifted toward HIM—Is so clear because the Bible is clear.

THE ANSWER:  MOST DEFINITELY!!!!!!

THE EVIDENCE:  2 CHRONICLES 20

Judah had been invaded.

Judah faced turmoil & struggle & defeat & despair.

Judah faced war!

So………………………………..

Judah did what the people knew to do: 

“So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.”

(2 Chronicles 2: 4)

Today, life can be so difficult.

Today, healing may seem so far from our reach.

Today, peace may seem like something impossible.

Today, our struggle, our enemy, our adversary, the Devil, seems so strong.

Today, we may feel so weak.

Today, may we (like Judah) gather and seek help from the LORD!!!

Today, may we (like Judah) gather and say:

“O our God, will You not judge them?

For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.”

(2 Chronicles 20:  12)

I really love the next part found within God’s Holy Word.

It’s amazing!

It’s encouraging!

It shouts TRUTH!

It reveals GOD!

Do not believe me but read with me God’s Word and see the Truth of God, See and Believe.

During all the turmoil.  During the siege of the warring army.  During all the distress, the LORD spoke!

“and he said, [Jahaziel, the one the Spirit of the LORD spoke to] “Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat:  thus says the LORD to you,

‘Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude [of this army], for the battle is not yours but God’s. . . .

You need not fight in this battle;  station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’

Do not fear or be dismayed;  tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.’”

(2 Chronicles 20: 15-18)

The next step is so important.

The men and women DID NOT sharpen their swords, or eat a great (last) meal, or talk about the enemy, or do anything that displayed their lack of faith.

INSTEAD—

(their leader, Jehoshaphat led them)

“Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. . . .

[they] stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel, with a very loud voice.”

(2 Chronicles 2: 18-19)

Then, the next morning, when they faced their battle, they did the only thing within their power they could do (because they were outnumbered & weak & powerless against the warring enemy).

I LOVE THIS PART, TOO !!!!

This is the part that juxtaposes my early, beginning driving with my more mature, later driving.

MUSIC WAS THEIR DEFENSE!

MUSIC WAS HOW THEY OVERCAME THEIR ENEMY!

MUSIC & PRAISE OF OUR LORD IS HOW WE CAN OVERCOME OUR LARGEST WAR!

MUSIC.

THE PRAISE of GOD.

THANK YOU GOD!

THANK YOU, GOD, FOR USING OUR WEAKNESS, FOR SHOWING US YOUR POWER!

THANK YOU—GOD!!!!

Today, let us see the power found ONLY in GOD!!!

“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. . . .

When Judah came to the lookout of the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude, and behold, they were corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped.”

(2 Chronicles 20: 22 & 24)

TRIUMPH.

DEFEAT.

GOD IS SO MUCH LARGER THAN OUR STRUGGLES!

GOD IS SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN ANYTHING WE FACE!

• Let us lift our hands.
• Let us lift our voices.
• Let us praise our King of Kings & LORD of LORDS!

LET US PRAY; LET US SEEK GOD; LET US FOLLOW HIM; & LET US SEE HOW OUR VOICE of PRAISE LIFTED, PRAISING GOD CAN LIFT US OUT of DESPAIR—HOW WE CAN OVERCOME—PRAISE & MUSIC—We Lift Up Our Struggles, Our Despair, Our Hurts, Our Everything—To God!

May we enjoy our drive through life & May we also enjoy making melody as we lift our praise to our King of Kings.

God, You Are An Amazing Melody In Our Hearts & In Our Mouths!

May we be faithful to allow the world to hear the MUSIC . . . & How We Can Overcome.

May the world hear our Praise of YOU.

****By the way, I now turn off the ignition to my car & leave the music of PRAISE, (to God) BLARING !!!!!!!!!!!