Blow the Trumpet!

Today I was thinking about the shofar, the trumpet or ram's horn of the Bible.  My husband and I have had one since we were married, a gift from my mom.  We love it, display it proudly on our mantle, blow it often, and have taught our children to blow it as well!  It is one of the most spiritually significant instruments (harp is another one, but that's for another day).  The shofar blast signifies two main things: a call to battle and a call to rejoicing.  This morning, I was wondering in my heart how to tell the difference between the two meanings.  I mean, how can one know at the blast of the horn if it is time to suit up for battle or dance in the streets?  Which is it?  I felt God's chuckle as He answered in my heart, "It's both!"

YES!  In this life, we come against severe, relentless, and intense spiritual opposition.  We, as God's emissaries, are instructed to put on the whole armor of God and stand against the enemy.  But, we don't suit up in fear and trembling, wondering what the outcome of the battle will be.  God leads us into battle in confidence of triumph in Jesus, who is the Mighty Man of War!  Each altercation with the realm of darkness serves one purpose: for Jesus to further establish His rule and authority in the earth through my victory!

Listen!  You will hear the clarion call of God's shofar blowing, calling His people to rise up, suit up, and ride out in His victory with rejoicing!  I hear the trumpet in Zion, and as I put on the armor of my King, I am laughing with joy and lighthearted with praise because I know I am on the winning side!

Bliss to you!
Sarah


James 4:7
⁷ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Ephesians 6:10-17
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlyplaces. ¹³ Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ¹⁵ and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;¹⁶ in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Colossians 2:9-15

⁹ For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; ¹¹and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

2 Chronicles 20 

Jehoshaphat's army wins through rejoicing!!  :)