Eternal Praise

Greetings:

1 Chron. 29: 10c (KJV): "... for ever and ever."

We are considering praying to God's glory from the thanksgiving prayer of David in 1 Chronicles. David gave praise in his prayer publically, personnally, and now consider he was fully aware of the perpetuity of this praise.

The phrase here seeks of praising until perpetuity. As some have said from everlasting to everlasting. From eternity past to eternity future. The praise that is offered God is a continous praise that never ceases.

I though of the fact that all creation resounds with the sound of praise to the Creator (consoder the many statements in Psalms), and the concept is that all men should do the same.

David understood this clearly. He knew that giving a praise salutation to God was something that should be done without any break.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Slip aside for a brief period and practice giving unbroken praise to God. Don't ask for anything, just praise Him. Then take some time to pray for our nation.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Blessing God

Greetings:

1 Chron. 29: 10b (KJV): "...and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father,"

Can we bless God? Don't we usually seek for Him to bless us?

David got it right here. Yes, God does bless us, however we were created to praise God, and one of the ways of doing this is offering our blessings to Him. David was very specific in who he was talking too, and he was certian of the grandeur of the one he was addressing.

Still, he offered his blessings to God. When was the last time that you blessed God? The word used here simply means to kneel before, to bless, to praise, to salute. When you pray to God, is it always to receive something, or do you ever just talk to Him and salute Him for who He is.

David is about to thank God for His abundant blessing, and he begins by offering a verbal sacrifice of praise to God.

Today, take some time just to offer praise to the One who is our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, our Maker (as the song says).

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

Public Praise

Greetings:

1 Chron. 29:10a (KJV): "Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation:"

The first truth that I have gleaned from this passage is that when God does great and marvelous things - we should give Him praise. We should not take the honor to ourselves, but place it where it really belongs - on Him.

Notice also, David didn't go off into some remote corner and whisper his thanks to God. He made sure everyone around him knew it was God's doing. Even today we talk about how great it was that David gathered all the materials for the building of the Temple -- David makes it plain that it was not him, it was Him.

When things happen in our lives, we need to give God the praise before others. This is a very important way to witness to the reality and sovereignty of God.

Today, seek to give praise to God before others for the things that are in your life.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

David's Prayer of Thanksgiving

Greetings:

I am musing over David's grand prayer of Thanksgiving located in 1 Chronicles 29: 10-13. He has commissioned Solomon to build the Temple and told how much he had gathered for the task. The leaders were so challenged that they gave a tremedous amount of supplies for the construction of the Temple also. David then proceeds to give God the glory before all the people by praying this prayer. Join me this month in considering what he is saying in these three verses.

1 Chron. 29_10-13 (KJV): "Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name."

Let's see where God leads us in this prayer.

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

God Loves Nobodies

Greetings:

To start this new month, I am borrowing from Dr. David Jeremiah a thought that we all should keep in mind.

"And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before [the shepherds], and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid." Luke 2:9

A gospel group called The Williams Brothers had a hit with their song, "I'm Just a Nobody." It was about a down-and-out man who lived on the streets and spent his days telling people about Jesus. He was laughed at and harassed by passersby, but that didn't stop him. The chorus of the song was his life message: "I'm just a nobody trying to tell everybody about Somebody who can save anybody."

The shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem might have felt the same way when the angels from heaven appeared to them: "Why did God choose us, a bunch of nobodies, to be the first to hear of the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem?" They were just a bunch of nobodies who probably later told everybody about the Somebody in Bethlehem who could save anybody.

Why did God reveal himself to shepherds instead of to important royal officials? Perhaps to signal the kind of king who was coming into the world: gentle and humble, a servant-Shepherd who came to tend to God's flock.

If you sometimes feel like a nobody, rejoice! God seems to gravitate to the nobodies of this world when He wants them to meet Somebody who can save everybody.

"God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him." Hudson Taylor

For Kingdom Education,
Doc