After defeating the Philistines, new King David gathered 30,000 men and made arrangements for the ark of God to be brought back into their camp. Transporting the ark was a scene of contrasts where God struck down those who inadvertently touched the ark. This resulted in fear and concern, but then morphed into loud, exuberant worship. As the people looked back over their history and their new-found freedom from their enemies, they couldn’t help but celebrate. They rejoiced, shouted, blew horns and trumpets, clanged cymbals, played other instruments, sang, and danced. Even David “danced before Yahweh with all his might” (2 Sam 6:14) and they were “making merry before Yahweh” (v. 5).
Notice that this worship took place in a community, one that would fill a modern- day stadium. These worshippers sang and played and danced with intentionality, with skill. It was an occasion to look back at Yahweh’s faithfulness, to celebrate their present peace, and then to look forward into the future for what God had in store through His covenant. The parallel account in I Chronicles 16 tells us that David appointed worship leaders and made Asaph the chief. This was also the first occasion that David appointed specific songs of thanksgiving to be sung. In fact, Chronicles 16:8-36 records three of those songs that were sung that day—Psalm 96, Psalm 105, and Psalm 106. We are going to take a closer look at Psalm 105 and the themes of gratitude and God’s faithfulness.
Let’s read the first half of the psalm now.
Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! 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, O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! (Ps 105:1-6)
This psalm is a call to give thanks to Yahweh with a tone of gratitude. Notice the commands to “call”, “make known”, “sing”, “tell”, “glory”, “seek”, and “remember”. When we take the time to actually remember, to recall specific instances of God’s character and works, it should cultivate within us a heart of worship. What exactly does the psalmist say we should give thanks for? Well, verse 1 says “his deeds”. Verse 2 says “his wondrous works”. Verse 5 says “his miracles”. God was and is and forever will be a covenant-keeping God. He “remembers his covenant forever . . . for a thousand generations . . . as an everlasting covenant” (vv. 8, 10).
This is so remarkable when you stop to meditate (think) on God’s nature. The covenants Yahweh made with Abraham (regarding land and descendants) over four thousand years ago are still active today. And all along, God has remained faithful to them as He said He would be. It’s His nature and character to keep His Word, to keep covenant. God’s Chosen One, the Messiah, would come through the tribe of Judah, which was one of the groups of Abraham’s immediate descendants. We will delve deeper into this in later devotionals, but for now, deepen your understanding of what worship is, why God’s people should worship, and with what means.
It has long been known, even in secular contexts, that gratitude and thanksgiving are powerful phenomena. More and more research is affirming the positive benefits that being grateful can have on our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. That should be motivation enough. But for the people of God, practicing remembrance and thanksgiving are tangible means to connect us to the past and position us to view the future. It’s a continuum. So often we are bogged down in the present with everything we have to get done and everywhere we need to go.
Taking time to simply quiet our hearts and minds before God seems like a luxury for many of us, but a luxury we have to fight for and prioritize.
So even now, if you haven’t done so already, make a list of everything you are thankful for in the present. Maybe make a T-chart with “present” on one side and “past” on the other. And just start writing. Be specific. Use names, dates, and details if you can. Recall these back to God as you write them down. And then keep adding to this list and reading back over them from time to time. Start the habit of writing three additional things you are grateful for before you go to bed at night. This will begin to rewire your brain towards gratitude, towards God Himself. It is a fight, I know. But this is where the battle against discouragement, loneliness, and depression is fought–on our faces before our covenant-keeping God, recalling to mind specific things, people, and situations. This isn’t the only resource we have to help us fight for joy, but it is a significant one.
Take however much time you have right now to sing to God, to call upon his name, to glory in His holy name. Dance before Him. Play instruments for Him. Simply celebrate. Don’t worry about anyone else. Just you and your God. Remember His wondrous works.
[From Volume 2/Devotional 42 in the Wisdom Calling Devotional series written by Bobo Beck; For more information, visit www.wisdomcalling.org]