How Heaven Answers When We Worshipনমুনা

Day 3: Worship Unlocks Strength and Direction

In the story of Jehoshephat, we saw that sometimes, worship involves standing still and letting God do the work, but today, I want to show you the story of someone who charged forward, but not before seeking the Lord for strength and clarity.

David and his men spent years building lives and families for themselves while they were running from Saul, and one day, they returned to the city where they were staying only to find that it had been burned to the ground, and everything they had left there — their wives, children, and possessions — had been taken.

This was such a dark moment in David’s life. He had lost so much over the years of hiding, and now he had lost his family to the Amelekites. Even more than that, his men were so hurt by this loss that they were thinking about stoning him. David had every reason to be grieved, angry, and fearful, but he picked a better plan.

The Bible tells us that David strengthened himself in the Lord. We don’t know exactly what he did, but we know that David could go back in his memory and envision the giant falling down before him. We know he had psalms that he had written that He could sing. He had all this knowledge of God that he could pull to the front of his mind to strengthen himself in the middle of this tragedy and distress.

After he strengthened himself, David asked God clearly and directly, “Should I pursue the enemy? Will I be able to catch them?” And God answered, “Yes.”

In the middle of tragedy, David positioned himself in a place of worship to God, and from that position, he found the confidence and strength to move forward and reclaim everything that he had lost. Every wife and child, every servant, and every possession was restored!

You see, worship is not just religious. Worship is sitting with the Lord and telling Him honestly, “Lord, I remember when you healed my body, got me out of that financial mess, or saved my child. Now, I present this new need to you.” Then you inquire of Him, “Is this what you want me to do?”

When we honestly come to Him in an attitude of praise and surrender, He will show us what direction we need to go, and He will give us the assurance and strength to carry it out, just like He did for David.

For Your Consideration

• Sometimes, we have to stand back and let the Lord work, but other times, His will is for us to take action ourselves. What is God asking you to do in your current situation?
• Find a Psalm in the Bible that you're not familiar with and take some time to read it aloud to the Lord today.
• When you pray to God, are you honest about your situation, or do you try to cover your struggle with religious attitudes and words?