Tuesday, May 31, 2022

             We know David as the writer of many of the Psalms that we have in our Bibles.  His words of comfort and faith have encouraged so may people through the years.  My guess is you have been blessed by one or more of the Psalms in your faith journey and life.  You may not realize that there is a Psalm from David found in I Chronicles 16.  This Psalm spans from verse eight to verse thirty-six.  He wrote, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns!’” (I Chronicles 16:31).  The immediate occasion for this Psalm was the return of the Ark to Jerusalem after a long absence.  The people took joy in the return of this important symbol of God’s presence with and among them.
             David issued a command—rejoice and be glad.  Or to put that another way, give praise, worship and glory to God.  He also gave a reason for this command—the LORD reigns.  Definitively and declaratively, the LORD reigns.  No one else can make such a claim or statement.  Kings, prime ministers, presidents and leaders come and go for a season.  But the LORD reigns—forever, always and without equal.  The presence of the Lord upon His throne is a reason to rejoice and be glad.  No matter how challenging or adverse life can become, we take joy in knowing that the LORD reigns.  So, rejoice and be glad, for no other reason than that the LORD reigns and lives!
            Because of the certainty of God’s reign, David tells us to “sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim His salvation day after day” (I Chronicles 16:23).  One reason we worship by singing is that God calls His people to sing and to make music unto Him.  He is a worthy audience for the music and singing that we bring to Him.  We can sing to the Lord as we recall and recount our blessings and reasons for giving thanks.  As people, we can easily and often be glad to sing our own praises, but the Bible calls us to sing to and to sing for the Lord God.  He is our audience. 
            David wrote, “sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts” (I Chronicles 16:9).  As we sing and declare praises to the Lord, we are also speaking of his wonderful acts and ways.  We are making Him known to those around us.  A wonderful way to strike up a conversation about the Lord is to speak about your blessings and to tell what the Lord has done for you or given to you.  Make the Lord the star and center of your faith story and testimony.  Sing out the good news of who He is and what He has done for you.
            The Psalm from David that we read in I Chronicles 16:8-36 comes just a few chapters after Saul has died and David has assumed Israel’s throne.  We learn by this example to acknowledge the blessings and greatness that God brings into our lives.  We are not to take such things for granted.  We are to name them, acknowledge them and then thank the Lord for what He alone has provided to us.  Real gratitude is more than a warm feeling.  It is an expressed emotion and quality.  King David remembered this truth even on the throne.  He did not forget the One who had placed him on the throne and the One who had blessed his life so faithfully and dramatically.
            At times, you may be the only one who is singing to the Lord or paying honor to His throne of greatness.  Have no worries.  Be the one who lifts both heart and voice in praise of God, His throne, His power and His glory.  Pay no mind to the silence or insults of others.  Lift your song and voice in praise to the One who is above all others.  Remember you can share our worship with others any time at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.  Have a great Tuesday!