Worship is our Battle Cry

​It was during the month of Tammuz, the fourth month on the Hebrew calendar, that Moses sent the spies into the Promised Land to explore it.  He appointed one leader from each tribe to investigate the situation.  They were to check out how the people lived and the soil conditions and the kind of trees that grew in it.  If possible, they were to bring back some fruit.  Twelve men returned on the eve of the ninth of Av, the next month, with a mixed report.  All acknowledged that the land was flowing with milk and honey and that the fruit was huge.  However, ten of the twelve men insisted that the giants who lived in the land, descendants of Anak and part of the Nephilim described in Genesis 6:4, would be too much for them to overtake.  Even though Joshua and Caleb reminded the Israelites that God had promised to go before them and give them the land, fear overtook them, and they were unwilling to move forward into their destiny.
 
Since we are now in the month of Tammuz, it would benefit us to look at the story in Numbers 13 and 14.  It was the giants in the land and the belief of the ten spies that they could not overcome them that kept the children of Israel, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, from receiving their inheritance.  God had promised His children that they would overcome the giants and take possession of the Land.  (“Then the Lord said to Moses…'Go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, I will give it to your descendants.’” - Exodus 33:1) They were on the threshold of victory but allowed fear and oppression to overtake them.
 
At a recent Global Awakening conference, Sean Smith, prophetic evangelist and Director of Point Blank International, spoke about this situation and suggested our present generation is in a battle with the spirit of Anak.  That spirit causes us to doubt and accept mediocrity.  It erodes our resolve to fight and keeps us from occupying our promises and producing fruit.  The spirit distorts our goals so that we do not want to take on a challenge and desire to return to "Egypt."  Anak piggybacks onto trauma and disappointment and causes us to become complacent, apathetic and passive.  In essence, that spirit puts a cap on us.  
 
Sean gave us some truths to remember in order to deal with Anak.  Bill Johnson, lead pastor at Bethel in California, inspired this one:  "When you come into agreement with the principles of the world, you come under the authority of the principality that released it."  Do not believe in the magnitude of the problem, but in the certainty of God's promise.  Sean says we must be aware of the spirit of Anak and develop a game plan to overcome it.  Why?  "You face your greatest obstacle when you are on the doorstep of your greatest miracle."
 
Let's be aware of this challenge and push ourselves to move forward instead of regressing into the territories we have already won!  We must make the month ahead of us a time to stand on the promises of God and a time to worship Him.  Evaluate your situations through the eyes of Christ.  I would like to suggest that Rita Springer's song "Defender" articulates a strategy for success in our battles to take the ground that God wants to give us.  Soak in her words and let them inspire us to have confidence in our God and every promise He has given to us:
 
"You go before I know that You've gone to win my war.  You come back with the head of my                  enemy; You come back and You call it my victory. (1st Verse)
You go before I know that You've gone to win my war.  Your love becomes my greatest defense; It leads me from the dry wilderness. (2nd Verse)
You know before I do where my heart can seek to find Your truth.  Your mercy is the shade I'm living in; You restore my faith and hope again. (3rd Verse)
All I did was praise; All I did was worship; All I did was bow down; All I did was stay still. Hallelujah, You have saved me; So much better Your way.  Hallelujah, Great Defender; So much better Your way."  
                (Chorus)
 
Hallelujah indeed!  Our Great Defender goes before us to prepare the way and give us the victory.  He is worthy of all praise and honor!