1 Chronicles 16:1-6: a reflection

1They brought in God’s ark, and set it in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the LORD’s name. 3He gave to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. 4He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the LORD’s ark, and to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel: 5Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, with stringed instruments and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud; 6with Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God.

When the ark of God is brought into Jerusalem and set in its tent, David does more than hold a one-time celebration. He appoints certain Levites to a lasting ministry: to minister before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel, continually, with music and song. David did not want the praise of God to be an occasional thing; he established a continual ministry of thanksgiving and praise before the ark.

Notice what David established: a continual ministry of thanks and praise. He set aside people whose ongoing task was to give thanks to God and to praise him, not just once, in the excitement of the moment, but continually, as a settled, ongoing practice. Praise and thanksgiving were to have a permanent place before the ark, offered day by day, not left to occasional bursts of enthusiasm.

That is a pattern worth bringing into our own lives. Our thanksgiving and praise to God are often occasional, offered in moments of felt gratitude or in times of worship, but not a settled, continual practice. Yet God is worthy of continual praise, and there is great good in making thanksgiving a regular, ongoing part of our lives, not just an occasional afterthought. Give thanksgiving and praise a permanent place in your life, as David gave it a permanent place before the ark. Do not let your praise be only occasional; make it a settled, continual practice, giving thanks to God day by day, appointing time and place for it, so that praise becomes a steady part of your life rather than a rare event. God is worthy of continual thanks; give it to him regularly, not just occasionally.

Lord, when the ark was brought into Jerusalem, David did not hold only a one-time celebration, but appointed Levites to minister before the ark continually, to invoke, thank, and praise you, establishing an ongoing ministry of thanksgiving and praise. Help me bring that pattern into my own life. My thanksgiving and praise to you are often occasional, offered in moments of felt gratitude or times of worship, but not a settled, continual practice. Yet you are worthy of continual praise, and there is great good in making thanksgiving a regular, ongoing part of my life, not just an occasional afterthought. Help me give thanksgiving and praise a permanent place in my life, as David gave it a permanent place before the ark. Keep my praise from being only occasional; help me make it a settled, continual practice, giving you thanks day by day, so that praise becomes a steady part of my life. You are worthy of continual thanks; help me give it to you regularly, and not just occasionally.