One Shout of Praise
From Sunday Morning
by Pastor Nave on July 31, 2016
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled (Judges 7:16–21, KJV).
We see examples all throughout Scripture where God used different types of men and women to win battles. But, this battle was different from all the rest. No weapons were used—there was only a shout of praise.
Three hundred men shouted with one voice and with one praise unto the God they served. It was a declaration that they knew the God they served and what He was capable of. There is something rises up in God’s people when they praise. God will give us an awareness and authority in our praise that God is able to conquer any enemy and any situation.
Scripture commands us to praise (Psalms 47:1), and when we praise, God will put our enemies under our feet (Psalms 47:3). Not only will praise execute judgment on the enemy, everyone has the ability to praise (Psalms 149:1–9).
Praise will always make a difference in our lives: our mind, our attitudes, and in our behaviors. Something happens when true praise goes up to the Lord—His glory and His presence comes down. If we don’t experience a change in our life, we have to ask ourselves: Did I really praise? Going through the motions of praise won’t exact a change in our life; submission is involved with praise.
In order for us to have true praise that brings about a change in our life, God has to eliminate two things: fear and selfishness.
God instructed Gideon to tell his soldiers to leave if they exhibited any fear regarding the battle ahead. At his prompting, 22,000 men left and went home. Fear isn’t going to be the solution to deliverance in our life. We will not come out in fear! If we choose to hold onto fear, we will never get to where God wants us to be.
Fear only comes through the devil; it was a part of the curse from the sin of disobedience in the Garden of Eden. If we forget to praise the Lord, we’ll have sin in our life, and fear will have the ability to rule us. We must have true praise and love for the Lord in our life to cast out all fear (I John 4:18).
God then instructed Gideon to bring the remaining army down to the water to give them way to take a drink. Those who lapped up water like dogs were eliminated from the army (9,700 people). God wanted people with a sense of awareness; God can’t use us when we act like dogs. We need to eliminate our selfishness and serve the Lord; we must decrease so God can increase. We cannot give ourselves any accolades or praise; God will not share His glory with anyone else (Isaiah 42:8).
Gideon had worshipped, he was guaranteed the victory, but there was still something for him and his army to do. Everything doesn’t end with just the one shout. The shout Gideon and his army offered up before the Lord defeated the enemy. And, once the enemy broke out into a run, Gideon and his army pursued. When we give God a shout, we need to obey and pursue.
Today, don’t give up before the shout. Don’t give up after the shout. Know your victory is coming with just one more shout of praise.
