I Chronicles 16
8 Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
11 Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles and the judgments he uttered,
13 O offspring of Israel his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
David sings this song after finally bringing the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem. The ark is the representation of God’s presence with the people of Israel, and was central to worship in the Old Testament. He had tried once before to bring the ark into the city, but because he didn’t follow God’s instructions and tried to get the ark in place through his own plans, it did not go well (I Chron. 13). This time however, David followed God’s instructions and was blessed for it.
Notice David’s instructions to the listener, especially in verses 11 and 12:
- Seek the Lord and his strength
- Seek his presence continually
- Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered.
Do any of these reminders resonate with you today?
- What are you trying to do in your own strength these days?
- Whose presence other than the Lord’s are you seeking, in hopes of finding joy? (vs. 10-11)
- What work has God done in your life before that you need to remember now, especially if it’s hard to see what God is doing at the moment?
I pray that you tune your heart to see God’s glory today, and that you find joy in his presence no matter the circumstances in which you find yourself.
If you have a story of God’s work that you’d like to share with us, we’d love to celebrate with you. antiochcommunity.org/story
If you have anything you’d like us to be praying for, you can submit prayer requests and praises at antiochcommunity.org/pray
Tags: Devotional