Peace has a sound to it, and a lack of peace has a sound to it. Are you familiar with those sounds? Lack of peace sounds like, “I can’t believe we are on lockdown again. What is going to happen to my business? I can’t believe they aren’t wearing a mask!” It’s the sound of doubt, fear, and frustration that surrounds us.

Before peace comes and settles down over a person’s heart, there is a sound that must be heard. Heaven is filled with this sound; it has poured strength into people’s lives for centuries. It’s a sound that gives you a reason to hope when it looks like all hope is gone. The sounds of peace have been known to shake the earth, move the heart of God, and open doors to miracles. It is vital that we identify these sounds that still lead us to peace today.

We find in the book of Judges the story of Gideon. The people of Israel were facing an enemy takeover by the Midianites. In a time of national crisis and lockdown, a series of sounds were made that led to peace.

So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. – Judges 6:6

In the midst of all the bickering, complaining, deception, and fighting, the sound that really mattered was the sound of crying out to the Lord for help. This is true for us today, and it’s the first sound that leads to peace.

THE SOUND OF HUMILITY: A cry for help

Why did the Israelites wait seven years? Why is it so hard for us to ask for help? Sometimes we refuse to ask for help until the pain of it all is just too hard to bear. One of the biggest challenges in this season has been that far too many people have been crying out for the government and the medical community to fix what we need God to fix.

Israel was in a mess because of their own sins and did not yet cry out in repentance. They just cried out for help, and look what happened next. We discover the second sound that leads to peace:

Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. ¹² The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” – Judges 6:11-12

THE SOUND OF THE LORD TELLING YOU WHO YOU ARE

“Mighty Hero,” the Lord said to Gideon. Today, the Lord speaks in the midst of your fears and anxiety, when things are at their worst. It’s the authority, power, and weight of His words. He speaks to who you are: Mighty Warrior! He comes to you today and says there is greatness in you! You are more than you thought you were. You thought your life was in a holding pattern, you thought you were stuck. No, you are the Beloved. You are an overcomer. In Him, you are powerful, a force to be reckoned with. You are the kind of person that makes hell nervous. When you hear the Lord speak to who you are, something in you rises up. Fear starts to vanish as faith takes its place, making you strong and bold.

The wicked run away when no one is chasing them,
 but the godly are as bold as lions. – Proverbs 28:1

Beloved, you are:

• More than a conqueror – means you know you win the fight! – Rom. 8:37
• Loved and chosen by the Lord – Eph. 1:4
• A masterpiece in the making – Eph. 2:10
• Equipped with the mind of Christ – 1 Cor. 2:16
• Wise – Proverbs 1:23
• The one the Lord loves to help! – Is. 41:10

Every problem you face is meant to point you to the promise!

THE SOUND OF THE LORD GIVING YOU A PROMISE: I will be with you.

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” 14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” ¹⁵ “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” ¹⁶ The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” – Judges 6:12-16

Where is God when you need Him?

There will be times when we find ourselves in a similar position to Gideon, unable to reconcile the spiritual victories we read about in the Bible with the struggles we are going through. We may have agonizing questions to which there will be no answer this side of Heaven. However, Jesus has given us the same promise that God gave to Gideon. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He said:

And be sure of this:  I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  – Matthew 28:20

I’m not sure why very bad things happen to very good people. But you can be sure of this – God is with you! Always. “God with us” is the solution to every problem. “God with us” calms every fear and wins every battle.

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you. – Isaiah 43:2

Speak the promises the Lord has made to you today. Out loud, thank Him that: “You are with me. You will never leave me or forsake me!”

Our problem is the same problem Gideon had… it’s hard to believe, so we have questions. “If you are with us, why does it look so bad?” The Lord responds to these doubts and questions by once again saying, “I will be with you.”

The Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not be afraid; you will not die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord is Peace. – Judges 6:23-24

An altar and sacrifice were a means of giving thanks, an act of worship. In an act of thanksgiving Gideon had a revelation of who God was… “The Lord is Peace.” We, too, can experience this peace through:

THE SOUND OF THANKSGIVING

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

In the context of knowing God, tell Him what you need and thank Him for all He has done; it’s the sound of thanksgiving. THEN His peace will guard your hearts and minds. A thankful heart will break down walls, unlock doors to miracles, and release the supernatural power of God in your life. In contrast, a bitter heart will build more walls than windows to your life and block a release of supernatural help. When you find yourself in doubt, remember, Peace is not something you get; it’s someone you know – Jesus.

When I am hunting in the woods, if I listen intently, I can tell what is approaching me simply by the sounds the animals make. The last time I was sitting quietly, I prayed: “God, I want to know the sound of Your approaching. You draw near to the humble.” The Lord began to teach me that even before the sound of His approach drawing near to me, there is a sound that must come from me. It’s the sound of me approaching His throne… the sound of thanksgiving.

Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. – Psalms 100:4 MSG

Thankfulness: it’s a sound that is heard in the worst of times. It’s a sound that comes before the victory, equips you for bigger battles in your future, and moves you to another realm. In the middle of a pandemic, how would you like to be caught up into a different realm? It all starts with the sound of:  “Thank you!”

When King Jehoshaphat cried out to the Lord, not knowing what to do and asking for help, the Lord sent a prophetic word. He sent the sound of a promise:

Believe God and you will be established, believe in his prophets and you will succeed. – 2 Chronicles 20:20

What came next was the sound of thanksgiving. They marched out into battle singing praise to God. At Mount Hope, we started this year with this word, this verse. “Believe God, shout in praise…” and it must be how we finish the year!

They went from being shaken to shouting—and Gideon did the same thing:

Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” ²¹ Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. – Judges 7:20-21

I’m telling you, Beloved, stand in your position and sing. Stand your ground, do not fear, do not be discouraged. The Lord is for you, He has made promises to you. He is with you. Stand your ground and praise Him!

We see this same example in Acts 16:

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.  Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations.  All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off. – Acts 16:25-26

A thankful heart in the worst of times opened the doors and caused chains to fall off! It is the power of a thankful heart. Your thankful heart can not only bring freedom to you… but all those around you.

God gave Gideon peace, so he might send him to war. There is a battle in front of us, an epic spiritual battle taking place all around us. Hope, Peace, and Love will win every time. How do you defeat evil? With goodness!

Remind yourself of the sounds that lead to peace, and sing your way there:

On your feet now—applaud God! Sing yourselves into his presence. – Psalms 100:1-2 MSG

That’s where peace is, spend a few moments now in His presence and experience the peace that only He can give.

DIVE DEEPER:

• List who and what you are thankful for… and why.
• Write down who God says you are… His beloved, chosen, a masterpiece…
• Speak the promises the Lord has made to you today.
• Out loud, thank Him that: “You are with me. You will never leave me or forsake me!”