Thought for October 2nd. “LET THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO … “

The Bible Channel - Discover the Bible. (By Christadelphianvideo.org)

How are you feeling in your heart? Depressed? Exalted? Or somewhere in between? We meditated on the various conditions of our heart’s emotions and of David’s as we read of his efforts to stir the people into a spirit of thanksgiving. They were bringing the sacred ark of the covenant into the tent (presumably to some degree a replica of the tabernacle) David had set up in Jerusalem. He had recently made the city his capital – it was thereafter called “the city of David.”[1 Chron. 11 v.5,7]

He was a good organiser, “he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD …” [16 v.4] His organising at that time was particularly directed to helping the people to participate together in their devotion to the one eternal God. “On that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the LORD by Asaph and his brothers” [v.7]

And what a wonderful song David had written! What an example to everyone since then – and no less so to ourselves. Consider the words, “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name, make known his deeds … Let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!” [v.8, 10]

Let us rejoice in heart at this – a complete contrast to the sort of rejoicing of people when their footy team wins! David’s song continues, “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his presence continually.” [v.11] We may well need to do this with the greatest intensity when our godless world really starts to fall apart. David writes much that is now – or will be – appropriate in our lifetime: “He is the LORD; his judgements are in all the earth. Remember his covenant forever; the word that he commanded to a thousand generations.” [v.14-15]

Then in v.29 “Worship the LORD in the splendour (‘beauty’ AV) of holiness.” David wanted the people to feel specially “holy” in their rejoicing at that time. Have we ever had occasions when we feel that way? May we be there and really do so when the words of v.31 are fulfilled; “Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns.’”