Written ~ 10-28-2023
1 Chronicles 16:8-22
8 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. 9 Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds. 10 Exult in His holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. 11 Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him.
12 Remember the wonders He has performed, His miracles, and the rulings He has given, 13 you children of His servant Israel, you descendants of Jacob, His chosen ones. 14 He is the Lord our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. 15 Remember His covenant forever; the commitment He made to a thousand generations. 16 This is the covenant He made with Abraham and the oath He swore to Isaac. 17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant: 18 “I will give you the land of Canaan as your special possession.” 19 He said this when you were few in number, a tiny group of strangers in Canaan. 20 They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. 21 Yet He did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf: 22 “Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”
The Book of 1 Chronicles starts out with listing descendants going all the way back to Adam, it notes the territories each tribe was assigned when they came into the Promised Land. The priests and Levites were assigned to their specific responsibilities at the Temple. Briefly in chapter 10 we hear about the death of King Saul, this event brings about the anointing of David as King over all Israel. King David captured Jerusalem and made this fortress his home. To this day, it is called the City of David. King David was building a great and mighty army, 1 Chronicles 14:17 says, “…David’s fame spread everywhere, and the Lord caused all the nations to fear David.” In the meantime, David was preparing a special place so the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant could be brought back to Jerusalem and the Lord’s presence could remain among them. The verses we read in 16:8-22 is the first half of the Song of Praise that David gave to Asaph and the Levites to sing in thanksgiving to the Lord (verse 16:7), because the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant made its way safely to its destination. They were celebrating the Lord’s graciousness and honoring Him with praise, worshiping and exalting Him with great joy. In this song they remembered the Lord’s covenant with their ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and everything He had promised them.
This was a time of great celebration and praise. The people brought offerings to the Lord, David appointed several Levites to lead the people in worship and Asaph gathered the musicians, sounds of cymbals, harps, lyres and trumpets rang out before the Ark of the Lord.
As we think about this time of old, King David celebrating the Almighty God and the people rejoicing, singing, praising the Lord for everything He had done; what about us? Can we take this Song of David and apply it to our lives? Let’s read again, verses 16:8-11…
8 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness.
Let the whole world know what He has done.
9 Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds.
10 Exult in His holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
11 Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him.
Our lives may look a lot differently than the people of Israel in the time of King David. But in comparison we all have struggles, we all have choices to make, we all can obey the Lord’s Word or disobey. We all have seen the Lord’s hand move in ways we never thought possible. We all have seen the miracle of a beautiful rainbow through the sunset clouds. We all have witnessed a baby born into the world, God’s awesome creation. Yes, our story from 1 Chronicles can seem so long ago, but they are people just like us and they are praising God, worshiping Him, celebrating His promises and His goodness. So let’s join in on this powerful Song of Praise!
8 Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness.
Let the whole world know what He has done.
Think of all the Lord has done for you! Tell others what the Lord has made happen in your life. And shout a song of praise to the Lord!
9 Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds.
Have a song on your heart! It may not be that you have to go around singing all day long, but having a song in your heart will cause a bursting of joy. Others will see the Light of the Lord shining through you. And if anyone asks why you’re so full of joy, there’s the opportunity to tell them what the Lord has done in your life.
10 Exult in His holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
If your life is in a constant state of exulting the Lord, your heart and mind will understand things so much differently. Rejoice, for your Lord is Holy and He keeps His promises.
11 Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him.
What is the main way to see your life in a different light? Seach for the Lord in EVERYTHING! He is here and willing to show you His presence when you seek Him continually.
Father God, thank you for being true to Your promises and giving me so many reasons to rejoice in Your Holy Name! I pray that I will continually seek after You and search for Your presence in everything. I love you Lord and I praise You and thank You for all you have done in my life!
~AMEN~
You may be asking yourself, “How can I obtain this joy?” If you have a difficult time knowing the Lord’s presence in your own life, it may be that He has not yet become your personal Lord and Savior. Why not make the decision today to make Jesus Christ a part of your life. Ask Him to enter into your heart and bring new life. A life full of rejoicing and praise. Pray the following prayer, seek the Lord with a sincere heart and He will be found.
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! Soon you’ll be able to “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness.”
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.