WHATEVER YOU DO, WORSHIP!
Opening Prayer
Find your favorite hymn of worship or worship song. Spend some time pondering the words and worshipping your creator.
Read 1 Chronicles 16:7–36
7 That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the Lord in this manner:
8 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
11 Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.
12 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
13 you his servants, the descendants of Israel,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
14 He is the Lord our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.
15 He remembers[a] his covenant forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
16 the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
18 “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”
19 When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
20 they[b] wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
21 He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
22 “Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his dwelling place.
28 Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his[c] holiness.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33 Let the trees of the forest sing,
let them sing for joy before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.”
36 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”
Footnotes:
a 1 Chronicles 16:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also Psalm 105:8); Hebrew Remember
b 1 Chronicles 16:20 One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 105:12); most Hebrew manuscripts inherit, / 19 though you are but few in number, / few indeed, and strangers in it.” / 20 They
c 1 Chronicles 16:29 Or Lord with the splendor of
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What are three things that move you to worship God?Many of us (perhaps secretly) find worship quite difficult. I can hardly begin to understand its heights and depths—nor how to define it. Perhaps David, the most famous composer of psalms, grasps this mystery as well as anyone. In today’s reading we have a sort of medley of pieces from various biblical psalms (105, 96 and 106). It is likely that this is only an extract from the words and music which would have been included in a great festival of praise and thanks at the installation of the Ark.
We can find key elements of true worship here. The first words are “Give praise to the Lord” (8). The focus is on God himself, then on his achievements, last on the worshipper. The element of joy through the whole piece is strong, but it is not a forced emotion nor detached from reality (Matt. 15:8). Their rejoicing is based upon solid faith in the unchanging truth of who God is and what he has done for them. That’s what moves their hearts to worship (10). They openly declare the great things God has done and they don’t seem to care who hears. There is joy and awe in their worship. We follow them and in verses 31 to 33 “join with all nature in manifold witness” as in Chisholm’s lovely hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.”
Apply
When you worship God in a song service what is your goal or motive? Do you worship God to give him honor and lift him up? Do you worship to feel God’s presence? Examine your heart today.
Closing prayer
Jesus, I want to be a true worshipper, one who worships in spirit and in truth. Teach me Your ways.
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