Let Your Shout Ring Out!

Ruwa could feel the panic closing in on them. All around him men were panicking, losing hope, giving up.

They had been marching out to meet the Israelite army, and a scout scurried back saying that the army was just ahead of them. Then another scout came running up saying the army was behind them.

Behind them.

Ahead of them.

Ruwa was watched as the gravity of their situation dawned on the men around him all at once. You could see the devastating news suck the life out of every man's face.

They were surrounded. Completely, utterly, hopelessly surrounded. They didn't have enough men to fight their way out. Several weeks ago a spy in the Israelite camp had reported that the Israelite army doubled their own army. Ruwa attempted to swallow the lump in his throat. Truthfully, he was having difficulty keeping the contents of his own stomach down and not emptying it in a nearby bush. Not unlike every man there, Ruwa couldn't help but think of his family back home, his wife and young children, and how brokenhearted they would be...

Despite the vomiting and wailing all around him, there were several men running through the clustered ranks of the army shouting. Ruwa strained to hear what they were saying...

"Do not despair! Do not despair! They Lord will deliver us. Shout to the Lord!"

Ruwa didn't have time to ponder the silliness of such a statement. He just did it. What else could he do? Before long, everyone was shouting, and Ruwa could barely hear the sound of trumpets coming from further ahead.

Soon, their cries for help changed, and instead, they became a battle cry. They would not give up. They would not let the enemy win. They would keep going. The Lord God was with them. Ruwa knew this to be true.

They would win this battle.

Based on 2 Chronicles 13:13-16

In this story, the nation of Judah was stuck. Trapped. They were thoroughly surrounded on all sides! Jeroboam had come out to meet Judah's army in battle head on, but Jeroboam had also sent an ambush around and behind them. When the army of Judah realized this terrible twist of fate they...

- Gave up and let them enemy kill them?
- Prayed to the sun, moon, and stars?
- Cursed God Almighty?
- Ran away?

No. Nope. Never a good idea. All wrong. The men of Judah did none of that.

"And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah."
2 Chronicles 13:14-15

Have you ever felt like you're surrounded with life's battles? Sometimes we all feel like we are facing the battle in front of and behind us. Sometimes the enemy will ambush us, but just because we are surrounded doesn't mean we are going to lose.

We have God on our side.

Instead of panicking, which is my first response, we should shout to God (Literally, if you so choose. There's nothing like randomly shouting to freak out the people around you...). Instead of giving up, we should sing Him praise. We should raise our voices in a battle shout! Every battle is in God's hands, and He will win the war.

"Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 12:6

If you find yourself in the midst of the enemy's trap, remember that God is in your midst. So take a deep breath, clench your fists, arch your back, and let out your war cry. Because you are not going down. Let your shout of praise ring out.

V. Joy Palmer