Day Twenty-Two: Victory Surround Sound

For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble.
You surround me with songs of victory.

Psa. 32:7, NLT

 

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘surrounded?’ I normally think of it as a negative thing, like, “Come out with your hands up, we’ve got you surrounded.” Or, “It’s cold season and I’m surrounded by people coughing and sneezing.”

This morning, our house was surrounded…by crows. Whenever our neighbor puts out stale bread for the birds, they scoop up their prize and fly to our roof to break it into bite sized chunks. There they peck, fight and squabble, squawk and make an annoying racket. I can hear them running to and fro over my head. Other than climbing up there to shoo them off, I can’t do much about it until they’re done with their feast. I’m surrounded.

This is how Gehazi felt when enemy troops surrounded the city where he and Elisha lived. “Oh no, what are we going to do?” Gehazi started to panic. I think I would have joined him.

Instead of doing that, Elisha calmly said, “‘Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha’” (2 Ki. 6:16-17). Gehazi’s stress level dropped and his confidence rose dramatically.

When Kelly and I watched the first movie with our new surround sound, we I laughed at ourselves. We jumped at noises behind us and kept looking to the right and left to see who was there. It felt like we were in the middle of the action. And we were!

 

When God is our refuge and hiding place, the battle may rage all around us, but we are surrounded by His troops. We may not be able to see them, but the heavenly host is singing a victory song. We are surrounded. We are safe.

Open our eyes, Lord, to see we are not alone in the battle and give us spiritual ears to hear the song of victory that surrounds us. Let us add our voices in faith-filled praise.