ToddGaddisBook_October2023_8.5x5.5.indd

Praise to God also silences demonic forces. Martin Luther said, “Come let us sing a psalm, and drive away the devil.” I believe the Bible teaches that the angel Lucifer was once the praise leader of heaven before being cast down to earth. At that point, in his fall en state, he became the devil himself (Isaiah 14:12-15). Our praise to God makes him miserable, a continual reminder of what he lost and was never able to regain. Praise motivates, encourages, soothes and heals.When cel ebrated corporately, it draws us together as one. Praise prepares us for the words God wants to deliver and the work God wants us to do.This certainly proved true for Elisha, “While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha” (2 Kings 3:15). The necessary preparation- The first thing God said to Elisha was, “Make this valley full of ditches” (2 Kings 3:16, KJV). God had great blessings in store– ones that required action on the part of the people.This may not always be the case, but it was here. Re member Moses from earlier. God provided water once he struck the rock. I like to say, “If we do our part, God will do His.” Even in salvation, we must come to Jesus in confession and repentance. I absolutely accept “By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).Yet the Bible also says, “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). In the case of the kings and their soldiers, this effort wasn’t merely ceremonial.Water could come and go quickly in the desert. By digging ditches, or trenches, water could be retained rather than running off quickly.That way, the people and their animals could drink.

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