Yesterday a few of us spent a couple hours praying in the Spirit together. It was a beautiful time and and at one point our host felt the need to play the song, “Fly” by Jason Upton. You can find it here on Youtube. In the live recording, Jason is apparently accompanied by the voice of an angel. As I lay on the floor listening and praying, my body trembled at the beauty of the close-yet-far-away sound.

This morning as I was thanking the Lord for what He did with us yesterday, my mind went to a favorite passage in 2 Samuel 5, when David has been freshly anointed King of both Israel and Judah and had made Zion his fortress by crushing the prideful Jebusites. Then the Philistines, Israel’s old foe came against him.

The intel was that they wanted to take him personally, so David fled into hiding. Being a man of action, He asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight the Philistines?” “Yes,” the Lord says, “I will surely hand them over to you.” So David went and defeated the Philistines. But being slow learners, after awhile the Philistines returned. In one of the many great examples of David’s wisdom and humility, He did not immediately go out to fight them again, but asked the Lord once again.

²³ And again David asked the Lord what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” the Lord replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar^[f] trees. ²⁴ When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, be on the alert! That will be the signal that the Lord is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.” 2 Samuel 5:23-24 NLT

As I considered my physical reaction to just the voice of one angel singing yesterday, I asked the Lord, “How did they go forward Lord?” Trembling yet rejoicing when they heard the mighty sound of the angel armies in the poplar trees. The great loudness, at once far away and yet reverberating in their very beings.

The fear and trembling of acknowledged power and immensity, and yet the great joy of knowing that your vast power was for them! Trembling legs carried them forward as joy welled up in their bellies giving them your strength.

Tears of joy on the battlefield as they saw their enemies kill one another and flee before them. 

Wonder in their hearts as the victory was theirs as they stood on the battlefield as spectators of the war on their behalf, and yet they were allowed to claim the triumph as their own.

The time is upon us when we will again see the power of God work mightily on our behalf. Father let us have eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to understand. Give us the steely resolve to wait until we hear the heavenly troops marching in the poplars above us on our behalf. Give us eyes to see the forces engaged before us routing the enemy, hearts to receive your love, and legs to run into the triumph you have already won for us.