{Be Confident} How Joy Begins

One of my favorite stories happens to be tucked between the pages in one of the oldest books of the Bible. One thing you’ve just GOTTA know about me is that I’m a secret history buff. I adore facts, history and understanding the “why” of how something came to pass. History is FULL of incredible stories, moments and tales of adventure, glory and triumph. I’ve always been a fan of a good action/adventure tale of war- and the story just so happens to be one of them.

Let me set the scene for you.

Three armies are about to go to war- It’s two against one. Our team- the underdog of it all- is the smallest army let by a man named Jehosophat.

Yep.
His name is Jehosophat.
(Kinda like geez-hes-so -fat)

Anyways.
Back to the battlefield.

Jehoshaphat is about to lead his small army into battle and he’s slightly shaken. The odds are against him and he knows it. But he also knows that the Lord God has called him to fight this battle. So, knowing that, he does something totally crazy by human standards, something that no commander of any army would ever dare to do.

He calls for his praise and worship band and tells them to lead the army to battle. That’s right. These men are unarmed. Some hold instruments instead of weapons, others hold nothing in their hands at all.

He positions the musicians in front, and instructs them to lead the army in praise, thanking the Lord:

“…Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”
“ -2 Chronicles 20:21

The army begins to make it’s way into battle. Being led -quite literally- by the music. The musicians sang loudly, and played their instruments as confidently as they could manage. No doubt, there was a quiet confidence in the air. They were scared- yes- but they also knew that their God was bigger than their fear. If they died in this battle, that didn’t change WHO their God was. Their God still remained the same, and He still deserved every ounce of praise they could give Him.
Then, when they arrive to the place that overlooked where the battle was planned to begin, what they saw left them speechless.
The other two armies had turned on themselves. All that was left were the bodies of their enemies- not a single enemy soldier had survived.
Immediately Jehoshaphat led his army to collect the plunder that had been left behind. So much was left that it took three days to collect! The army returned to their town of Jerusalem continuing in songs of praise, abounding in joy and completely overwhelmed by the Lord’s provision.
God’s people had prepared for war and not a single life was lost. They didn’t even have to fight that day.  More than they ever thought they would receive was given to them, and they returned home abounding in joy, gratefulness and completely in awe.
The reason that story is one of my favorites is because, regardless of if Jehoshaphat had won or lost the battle, he did something incredible: he led his fight with songs of praise, proclaiming and glorifying no one but God.
He didn’t wonder or worry, or spend hours trying to figure out how he could win. He didn’t agonize over the fact that winning depended on his ability as a leader– he knew all of that was pointless. In the end it wasn’t about winning or losing. It was about trusting God in what He had called Jehosophat to do. Only God could give him the victory, and Jehosophat knew that.
So much of our joy depends on knowing who God is. Joy only fades when we lose sight of our Savior’s sovereignty and supremacy. I mean it. Life isn’t about us, it’s about proclaiming how good God is in spite of us. We are imperfect creatures stained by sin, and yet we burden ourselves with the idea that we have to be a certain way in order for our lives to be of value and for us to be happy.

Only half of that is right.

Regardless of your condition, you are of value. You cannot make yourself better, you cannot save yourself, and you’ll become exhausted and frustrated if you try. You can be happy that way… But happiness doesn’t last. Happiness requires only one set of circumstance to exist. But joy -oh joy– joy requires no specific circumstance because it isn’t based on circumstance. Joy is based on something that never changes- and that’s God himself. Joy takes the pressure off of us feeling like we have to “have it all together” or “know all the right answers”.
Joy isn’t based on those things, it comes from knowing that we are protected and covered by the arms of Jesus Christ. He has filled our imperfections, he has drowned our worries, and he covers our anxieties with his perfect grace and love. Our lives don’t depend on us- they depend on him.
Sweet friend, I want to live a life abounding in joy. I want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that who I am and what I do far exceeds me. I want to have peace in all circumstances and know my savior.
Joy, is welcomed with gates of praise. If you’re like me and you crave JOY, tell your life who your God is. Take the pressure off of yourself and put it on Him. Let Jesus be your Savior, stop trying to save yourself. Hold tightly to the countless truths that are written in God’s love letter to you—the Bible. Praise God for who He says He is, in spite of how you feel. Feelings change. But God? God never changes.
So, if you want that to, start today. Start right now! Praise Jesus for who he says he is– not how you feel. Praise Him and thank Him for everything before you ask Him for anything.

xo
AnnaFilly

** If you would like to read the story of Jehosophat for yourself– and you should– check it out here : https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+chronicles+20&version=NIV