Tell Your Story from the Place of Victory
By: Susan Deborah Schiller
What if when tragedy or trauma invade our lives, we invite our friends to celebrate the victory – before it happens? I know of a king who once did such a thing!
There once was a man with odd name, Jehoshaphat, who was an unconventional ruler of a despised but prosperous nation. He surrounded himself with wise advisors who were courageous and spoke the truth. By today's standards, that was highly unconventional, right?
But that didn't prevent tragedy and dire circumstances from intruding in his country's affairs. In fact, just when everything is going well, that's often the time we are caught off guard. Unbeknownst to the king of Judah, three enemy nations – Ammon, Seir, and Moab – had formed an alliance. Their combined armies and calvaries marched toward Israel, intent on decimation. It was a sure win!
An intelligence report was pushed into the king's hands. King Jehoshaphat, recognizing his country was doomed, went out in the midst of his people and called for prayer and fasting. News sped throughout the land, quicker than if everyone had smartphones and Internet access. As the citizens were alerted they dropped what they were doing and converged on the capital where the King publicly humbled himself and prayed.
“O God, God of our ancestors, are you not God in heaven above and ruler of all kingdoms below? You hold all power and might in your fist—no one stands a chance against you! And didn’t you make the natives of this land leave as you brought your people Israel in, turning it over permanently to your people Israel, the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived here and built a holy house of worship to honor you, saying, ‘When the worst happens—whether war or flood or disease or famine—and we take our place before this Temple (we know you are personally present in this place!) and pray out our pain and trouble, we know that you will listen and give victory.’
10-12 “And now it’s happened: men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir have shown up. You didn’t let Israel touch them when we got here at first—we detoured around them and didn’t lay a hand on them. And now they’ve come to kick us out of the country you gave us. O dear God, won’t you take care of them? We’re helpless before this vandal horde ready to attack us. We don’t know what to do; we’re looking to you.” – 2 Chronicles 20
The crowd was unusually quiet, when a voice arose from the midst of the people. It was the voice of a man who knew the voice of God. This is what he said:
“Attention everyone—all of you from out of town, all you from Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat—God’s word: Don’t be afraid; don’t pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God’s war, not yours. Tomorrow you’ll go after them; see, they’re already on their way up the slopes of Ziz; you’ll meet them at the end of the ravine near the wilderness of Jeruel. You won’t have to lift a hand in this battle; just stand firm, Judah and Jerusalem, and watch God’s saving work for you take shape. Don’t be afraid, don’t waver. March out boldly tomorrow—God is with you.”
Jehoshaphat bowed down to the ground in worship, the people followed his example, while the priests raised their voices in praise. The next morning, they prepared for battle. Jehoshaphat consulted with the people and they decided to take action based on their faith in what they felt God was promising them. So they rounded up the singers and they marched the choir ahead of the soldiers. It was daring act of faith! If you had been one of the singers it might have felt like madness!
The army of Judah, led by the musicians, marched forward. Angels are drawn to beauty, creativity, and the arts. All earthly battles are preceded by heavenly battles. This daring act of faith created a sound that roused all of heaven, and before they knew it, the army of Judah was marching through a battlefield of dead bodies. The Lord had formed an ambush that set the enemies to fighting against themselves. There were no survivors.
The people of Judah needed three whole days to collect the booty. And from that point on, the surrounding countries took notice of Judah and left them alone! Jehoshaphat led the people to the Valley of Berachah, which means "Valley of Praise" where they continued to celebrate God's beauty, mercy, and grace.
"Praise and Worship are the bookends of Faith," is a word I received from God, as I was journaling, one day long ago. In this story we see Judah praising before and after the battle.
"Praise is the Lost Key to Victory," I heard God say, in 2008, and I wrote it down in my journal. I received this words during a year when I was submissive and obedient to my husband and ministry leaders but disobedient to God. My disobedience opened my spirit to depression, despair, and eventually disease.
I finally laid it all down. Asong came to me during that time: "I Lay It Down" by Julius Magan expressed my deepest heart's longing. I listened to it hundreds of times, if not thousands.
You probably have such songs in your life, too. Like stories, just the right song at the right time can change your life.
"Dance with Me," God used to whisper, in my darkest hours. I had a choice to respond. So many times I choose to soak in self-pity, instead. Rarer times, I arose and danced. I sang. I created beautiful things.
Art is War. Art is Praise and Worship. Art is Rest.
When I take time to sing, to dance, to write stories, to create art, God steps in and makes a way for me through the dilemma. I can praise God with my music, by telling a joke and releasing laughter, by writing, by sketching a picture.
Praise is not a religious exercise. Praise is like breathing to our spirit bodies.
Praise is the lost key to victory. Angels travel on the path of our praise, drawn to the beauty of our faith expressed in art. They can't help but fight for us, for they are fighting for the country they live in – the kingdom of heaven.
Praise and thanksgiving are portals into a realm far above the earth, where the victory takes place as God fights our battles as we rest, recreate, and retreat.
"You advance by retreating," God once said to me. "Be still and know that I am God," is a verse we all know, but it's so hard to put into practice. So I rehearse the story of 2 Chronicles 20.
I tell a story to myself. I put myself in the story. I tell a new story. God gets the glory.
Using a current dilemma, I remember the past, and write myself into a better future. You might use the following skeleton structure, or one that works for you.
- What was happening before the dilemma arrived?
- How did you find out about the dilemma?
- How did you respond to the news?
- What did God say? What promises came to mind?
- What action did you take?
- What resulted?
Murray Lincoln wrote one of his short stories for Team Family Online at But God! He went from certain doom to living a life that is so rich and rewarding that most people can only dream of that level of freedom and fullness.
When we take time to remember history, whether ours or someone else's, we are planting seeds of the same kind of fruit in the garden of our lives.
Telling your story matters, but how you tell your story matters even more!
Do you have a current dilemma that could use some rewriting? Tell your story as it is, and it will overwhelm you. Doubts will be magnfied and fears will be compounded. But when you add in God's Word and His promises, and you remember what He's done to rescue His people before, it changes the whole story!
You are renewing your mind and rewriting the future by telling your story in an empowering way! Celebrate! 🙂
My Full Story What I Believe Contact Me
With all my love,
Sue
Copyright © 2010 to 2015 Team Family Online, All rights reserved. For reprint permission or for any private or commercial use, in any form of media, please contact Susan Schiller.
{ 0 comments… add one now }