When Praise Leads the Way

And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high. And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever. (2 Chronicles 20:19-21)

The verse tells us that the Kohathites and Korhites stood up to praise the Lord “with a loud voice on high.” Notice that they didn’t whisper or hide their faith inwardly. They didn’t wait to be in a private place to praise God. They stood and raised their voices in a way that demanded everyone’s attention. The Scripture also records that they rose early in the morning, which shows they were eager, hopeful, and confident about what would happen. They weren’t slowly heading toward the battle line full of worry. They were excited and expectant about what God would do through them and for them.

A key principle emerges from these verses: what you magnify determines what dominates. If fear is loud and praise is quiet, fear will control the atmosphere. But when praise rises louder than fear, fear loses its grip.

The phrase “praise the beauty of holiness” highlights the focus of their worship. They weren’t praising the size of their army. They weren’t praising their courage or their skills. They were praising God’s character. Holiness means that God cannot be compared to anything or anyone. His Name, His faithfulness, His power—none of these are matched by anything. And the declaration they repeated is vital: “Praise the Lord; for His mercy endureth forever.” They were not praising a future victory. They were praising an unchanging truth. God’s power had delivered Israel before, and He would do it again.

Practical Application

In moments of high pressure, make praise your first strategy, not your last resort.

1 Chronicles 16:29; 2 Chronicles 5:13