1 Chronicles 16:23-36

Written ~ 10-29-2023

1 Chronicles 16:23-36

²³ Let the whole earth sing to the Lord! Each day proclaim the Good News that He saves.
²⁴ Publish His glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He does.
²⁵ Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods.
²⁶ The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens!
²⁷ Honor and majesty surround Him; strength and joy fill His dwelling.

²⁸ Oh nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
²⁹ Give to the Lord the glory He deserves! Bring your offering and come into His presence.
Worship the Lord in all His holy splendor. ³⁰ Let all the earth tremble before Him.
    The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

³¹ Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
³² Let the sea and everything in it shout His praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
³³ Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.

³⁴ Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.
³⁵ Cry out, “Save us, Oh God of our salvation! Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank Your Holy Name and rejoice and praise You.”

³⁶ Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

Today we continue in 1 Chronicles 16 with the rest of King David’s Song of Praise after the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant made its way back to its new dwelling place in Jerusalem. It was time for great celebration! The verses for today remind us how awesome our God is, and we need to proclaim and shout with praise the “glory He deserves.”

I love how David uses all of creation in these verses to show their praise as well…

²³ “Let the WHOLE earth sing to the Lord! ³¹ Let the HEAVENS be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!” ³² Let the SEA and everything in it shout His praise! Let the FIELDS and their crops burst out with joy! ³³ Let the TREES of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.”

When you look to the heavens, let the clouds and the blue of the sky be a reminder that they are proclaiming the greatness of the Lord! If the clouds bring the sound of thunder and lightning brightens the sky, think of it as the heavens singing their praises to the Lord.

I know a lot of us who absolutely love going to the beach. Something about the resounding crash of the waves, the warmth of the sand, the never-ending view of the horizon brings calm to the soul. It’s the oceans way of praising the Lord. With every crash of the waves, listen, hear it sing to the Lord. “Let the sea and everything in it shout His praise!”

If you have ever gone on a long road trip, you have probably seen fields and fields of crops. To me the landscape can make the road trip long and boring, but maybe, just maybe I need to have a different outlook. In verse 16:32 it says, “The fields and its crops burst out with joy!” God is blessing the land to yield its crops and it is bursting out with joy as it grows and provides food. With it’s grain or fruit waving in the wind, it’s like the stalks and branches are swaying to their own song to the Lord.

One of my favorite places to be is in the mountains. I love the freshness of the air, the smell of pine and the crisp, chilliness of a fall morning. I have never had trouble seeing the beauty of the trees and the tranquility of its silence. But what I love is when a breeze comes up and you hear the leaves rustle, and those giant trees sing. So, when I saw verse 16:33, “Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord,” I can imagine the sound when I close my eyes and it brings joy to my soul!

So not only is all of creation singing their songs of praise to the Lord, so should we! 16:28-29…

Oh nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory He deserves!

Each day when we rise, our voices, our actions, our attitudes need to give the Lord the glory He deserves! As we go through our day, every reminder in creation can help us shout and give thanks to the Lord!

³⁴ Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Let’s not forget that the Lord our God is there to save us when we cry out to Him. If you get tangled up in a situation that you see no way out of, it’s time to shout out to the Lord! Salvation is near, but we need to choose to cry out to the One who can help us in our time of need.

I am praising the Father this morning for all of His Creation. It constantly reminds me that He delights in showing me how creative He is. That’s why I believe it is important to look at the beauty of what’s around you. Don’t go about your busy day without pausing for a moment and search out something in your surroundings that can bring you joy, something in creation that shows you the Glory of the Lord and watch how it praises the Lord. Maybe it causes a smile to spread across your face, maybe it prompts you to pray and give God the Glory for a few moments, or maybe it even produces a shout of joy and laughter because you know how AWESOME our LORD is!

Whatever way you see the Glory of the Lord, make sure you are praising Him and thanking Him for showing you His Holy Splendor in all of creation!

And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

~AMEN~

Has it ever occurred to you that you never look at creation as something God gave us to delight in? Maybe it’s because the Spirit of the Living God does not reside within your heart. You may not see the glory in creation because you haven’t given your heart the chance to believe in the Creator! Take the time now to examine your heart, where does your peace, love, joy, patience and strength come from? If it isn’t coming from the Lord, you’re truly missing out on what the Lord can give you. My heart is overwhelmed with the desire for you to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Your whole world might just explode with nature singing its praises when you join God’s family! I encourage you to seek the Lord and as you do… pray this prayer of Salvation…

Dear Jesus, You know my heart, all the things I have done and said. Please forgive me for my unbelief. Please forgive me for all of my sins. I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You came to earth to die on the cross for my sins. I believe You rose from the dead to give me freedom from sin and death. By faith through believing in Who You Are, I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life, cleanse this heart of mine, white as snow. Help me not to doubt any longer and breathe life into me, fill me with Your light. Thank You Jesus! Amen.

If you solemnly prayed this prayer, tell at least one person, so they can share in your joy!! I rejoice with you! All the angels in Heaven rejoice with you! And all the people shouted “AMEN!” and praised the Lord!

It is very important to me that those who might be reading these journal pages of mine and don’t yet know the Lord Jesus Christ, that you make that decision. Today. Your heart and mind may not understand everything you have been reading, but if you open your heart to the truth of who Jesus is, you will be saved from sin and death. By the Power of the Holy Spirit you will be amazed at how quickly after giving your heart to the Lord your eyes and ears will be opened to the truth.