Do you hear the sound of the Kingdom of God advancing?
Can you hear the victory war cry?
Do you hear the shofar sound?
Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp, and say, ‘The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!’ ”So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled….”. – Judges 7:16-22
Gideon defeated an entire Midianite army with only 300 men and a few trumpets (shofars). What appeared to be an army ready to demolish Gideon and his men turned out to be for the victory of Gideon, the glory of God and the destruction of what appeared to be an army too big to defeat.
But there was victory. There is always victory when the Kingdom of God advances.
I felt this week that many in the body of Christ were feeling an unrelenting torment in their minds. A feeling that the “army” against you was bigger and more equipped, and that your war cry was only a distant whisper rather than a shout of victory. I want to encourage you, the Lord says that this is only the BEGINNING OF THE VICTORY OF THE LORD in your life. The Kingdom of God is actually overtaking the darkness, and the enemies are running scared.
Regardless of how big the enemy looks, or how small you may feel, it is time to raise that shofar sound of victory because this is the sound of the Kingdom advancing.
In worship this week, I saw a vision of a plot of land. The land was lush and beautiful, but it was covered in what looked like fire ants. I saw a person (representing the body of Christ) take a step onto the plot of land, which actually belonged to them. They stepped onto the land to reclaim it, but their action caused the ants to spread and run amuck, even biting and stinging the feet of the person. Instantly, I hear the Spirit of the Lord say boldly, “Your feet are reclaiming what is yours! The kingdom of darkness is disturbed and stirred up not because they are to be feared, but because YOUR FEET are taking back what is rightfully YOURS! You are ADVANCING….”
Instantly He showed me that the feet were on the OFFENSE, not the DEFENSE. And I heard Him point me to Romans 16:20: “And the God of peace will soon crush satan under your FEET.”
Do you hear the sound of the Kingdom advancing?
I want to remind you that what “feels” like unrelenting torment is actually the Kingdom of God taking back what belongs to it! The darkness has no place to hide, and just like Gideon’s men who blew that shofar of victory, the enemy is actually running around scared and about ready to be crushed.
Take up your battle cry of victory! Shofars are also used in ancient Jewish culture to announce a new King. When we raise that victory sound, we are actually announcing to the enemy who the TRUE King is. Jesus is King, and He is our victory. He has given us authority to take what is rightfully ours as His children.
Stand your ground, child of God. The God of peace will soon crush satan under your feet. You have been given everything you need, by Jesus, to trample under your feet whatever is trying to intimidate you.
Can you hear the sound of victory?
Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. – Luke 10:19 (AMPC)
**thanks to unsplash and nathan shipps for the image