Sing Praise to God

Hi, friend. Thanks for joining us for this edition of Our Daily Bread. Today's reading is titled Sing Praise to God, and it was written by Amy Boucher-Pye. The heat and humidity of the Midwestern summer closed in on us all week at the Discipleship Conference, but on the last day, we welcomed a front of cooler air. Giving thanks for the break in weather and the amazing work God had done, hundreds joined voices to worship God. Many felt liberated to sing wholeheartedly before God, offering hearts, souls, bodies, and minds to Him.

As I think back to that day, decades later, I'm reminded of the pure wonder and joy of praising God. King David knew how to wholeheartedly worship God. He rejoiced when the Ark of the Covenant, which signified God's presence, was placed in Jerusalem by dancing, leaping, and celebrating.

Even though his wife Michael observed his abandon and despised him in her heart, David didn't let her criticism stop him from worshiping the one true God. Even if he appeared undignified, he wanted to give thanks to God for choosing him to lead the nation. In 1 Chronicles 16, David appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the Lord in this manner. Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name, make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him, tell of all his wonderful acts.

May we, too, give ourselves fully to worshiping God by pouring out our praise and adoration. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Chronicles 15, verse 29 through chapter 16, verse 11. As the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was entering the city of David, Michael, daughter of Saul, watched from a window.

And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart. They brought the Ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman. He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the Ark of the Lord, to extol, thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief, and next to him in rank were Zechariah, then Jaziel, Shemairahmat, Jahiel, Mattathiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jahiel. They were to play the lyres and harps. Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel, the priests, were to blow the trumpets regularly before the Ark of the Covenant of God.

That day, David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the Lord in this manner. Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name, make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him, tell of all his wonderful acts, glory in his holy name. Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength.

Seek his face always. Let's pray. Creator God, thank you for giving us voices to sing our praises to you. May we proclaim your name above all others. You are worthy to be praised, and we worship you. It's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Thanks for listening. I'm Alisha Reisinger, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.