"And I will bring praise,
I will bring praise,
No weapon formed against me shall remain.
I will rejoice,
I will declare,
God is my victory and He is here."
Chorus from The Desert Song by Hillsong Music, Australia

I think it's safe to say that we all have things in life that we like.  I like to take a drive at times to clear my head.  I like Papa John's pizza.  I like the sound the rain makes on the roof of my cottage while I'm trying to fall asleep at night.  I think it's equally as safe to say that there are things in life that we love.  I love my wife.  I love my parents, and my brothers, and my extended family.  I love the atmosphere of downtown Nashville, particularly the corner of Broadway and 4th.  I love to play the guitar.  I love strawberries.  Oh, and I love Moose Tracks ice cream ... as long as it's the real thing.  Take it from me, it's not worth trying to save $.59 to buy the cheap stuff.  Imagine that ... me getting off subject.

There's something else I love to do: I love to praise my God.  I've had hundreds ... actually thousands of people listen to me sing.  They've heard me sing 'tear-in-your-beer' country songs, and 'big-hair-band' rock songs.  They've heard me sing Josh Groban's old Irish ballads and Josh Turner's hillbilly honky tonk.  Guess what?  I've loved singing all of it ... but it doesn't compare to praising God.  I'm not sure if God is a country music fan (though I'd like to think He is), but I do know that the Bible says that He "inhabits the praises of his people."  For me, sometimes it takes a song or two ... sometimes five, or six ... but He always shows up.  Whether I'm in church like this past weekend when we sang "In Christ Alone", or tonight when I was in my basement rehearsing this weeks worship set, going through "How Can I Keep From Singing" for the eighth time, God always shows up.  The song at church this weekend had me in tears.  I was good until we hit one of the last verses ...

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
'Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand

No power of hell ... not satan ... not his lies or his deceit or his ability to twist the truth ...
No scheme of man ... not my former boss, or a back stabbing friend, or the guy who let the door slam in my face recently when my hands were full ...

Like the song I first quoted says, which is based on Isaiah 54:17, no weapon formed against me shall remain.  No weapon as in nothing.  That's a promise from God.  His protection, his care, his peace ... they are all promises and ours for the taking ... and God always fulfills his promises.  However, He does it in his time, not ours.  So while you're waiting for the promise to be fulfilled, praise Him.  I don't care if you can't carry a tune, or sing with perfect pitch, or clap to the beat (actually, I do, but lest I digress), just sing to God.  No matter how awful you might sound, it'll be a beautiful sonnet to His ears.  Besides, if we don't praise Him he's told us that he'll cause the rocks to cry out.  Do you really want to be outdone by a rock?  I didn't think so.

Are you longing to feel God's presence?  Sing to him.  Praise him because He's worthy to be praised.  Are you feeling oppressed?  Sing loud enough so that satan can hear you.  Declare God's word as you sing.  Don't know what to sing?  That's easy ... go to YouTube and type in Hillsong Chapel in the search box, and start playing every video listed.  Some even have the lyrics scrolling on the video ... those will be the easiest ones to sing :)  For how long?  Well, I think the verse above answers that question best:

'Til He returns, or calls us home.  Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

God bless you, and good night.