Glory to God! The Lord has been good to us throughout the past week as He has blessed with everything we need for our life in this world so far. Also, He has given us opportunities to draw closer to Him and hold fast unto Him in times of trials and troubles. The Lord our God who created the universe and everything in it, including the heavens and the earth, is able to care for everything He created, including you and me – the crown of His creation. God created all things – things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, out of nothing of the existing elements. The Latin phrase used here is Creatio ex-nihilo, which means ‘creation out of nothing.’ This indicates that God created everything – the things we see and hear and smell and taste and feel and experience or the things that are unseen or unheard or invisible or things that are beyond our reach but exists somewhere in the universe, is created by God; and He created them absolutely out of nothing of our existing elements, as the author of Hebrews stated: By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible (Hebrews 11:3). Right from our birth into this world we see or hear or experience the people or things that are around us, and now it’s too hard for us to imagine or try to understand a situation where nothing we see, hear, or experience existed but that was the truth in the beginning – there was absolutely nothing which existed (visible or invisible) except God alone before the creation of the universe and everything in it by God before the beginning of time and space (Genesis 1:1-2:3; Psalm 90:2; 104:24-25; Isaiah 40:28). The Scripture states that In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1); and the rest of all God’s creation that we see and hear and experience follows as it is mentioned in Genesis 1:2-2:3; also refer to Psalms 33:6; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17). Human beings were created as the last of God’s creation and, thus, they were called the crown of His creation (Psalm 8:4-6). Ever since the creation of Adam and Eve (who were the very first human beings God created), it is impossible to imagine a situation where nothing exists. They were created only after God created everything else in this universe and their responsibility included caring for rest of all God’s creations as stewards while maintaining faithful fellowship with God, their Creator (Genesis 1:26; 2:15). Thus, it is impossible to imagine or try to experience a situation [or universe] where nothing exists in any form. Perhaps, such an experience might be something like we close our eyes and try to experience the situation – where nothing can be experienced. What we are trying to say here is that God alone existed from everlasting to everlasting and He is the One who created the universe and everything in it including the human beings. Such is the God who created you and me (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7); such is the God who care for us; such is the God whom the entire creation praise and honor (refer to Psalm 148:1-6); such is the God whom we praise and worship (refer Psalm 148:7-14). This was the reason the Lord our God said: Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10). It is our call to proclaim the marvelous deeds of the Lord God – all that He has done for us and to everyone else, as king David assuredly asserted: I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done (Psalm 9:1).

The Lord has blessed us with a praiseworthy Scripture passage for our SftW meditation this week, which is taken from 1 Chronicles 16:4-11 (part of it is mentioned above). It is widely accepted as the matter of fact that the book of First Chronicles is written by Ezra the priest and Scribe who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile as the Medo-Persian king Cyrus issued decrees regarding the return of the Israelite remnants to Jerusalem in Judah (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-3) [see the last week’s {02/01/2026} meditation from the book of Second Chronicles for details regarding the authorship of the First and Second books of Chronicles]. There are several lessons for us to learn from the book of First Chronicles, which includes

• • The book records genealogy to connect Israelites’ ancestry to Abraham and Adam in order to bring awareness among of the later generation Israelites
  • the covenant that God made with David and his descendants will remain active and his throne will be established forever through the coming of Messiah in the line of David
  • an invitation to place Judah’s trust on Yahweh, the God of their fathers, for their spiritual and material blessings
  • king David’s preparations for the building of a temple for the God of Israel in Jerusalem
  • establishing the Levitical order of praise and worship in Israel (1 Chronicles 15:16-22)
  • establishing an order among priests, Levites, temple officials (1 Chronicles 15:11-15, 25; 27:1-3424:1-26:32); army divisions , and so on (1 Chronicles 27:1-34)
  • an invitation to call upon the name of the Lord for His continuous guidance and blessings; and so on.

Other highlights of the book includes …

• • God’s promise [covenant] to David (1 Chronicles 17:1-15
  • David numbers the fighting men and God’s judgement (1 Chronicles 21:1-19)
  • David’s extensive preparations for the building of the temple of God in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 22:2-19; 28:1-29:9)
  • David’s prayer that emphasizes on God’s faithfulness to him and his descendants (1 Chronicles 17:16-27; 29:10-20)
  • The acknowledgment of Solomon son of David as king in Judah (1 Chronicles 29:21-25); and
  • David’s final days and death (1 Chronicles 29:26-30).

From the passage we chose for our meditation, we can understand that David followed the Lord his God wholeheartedly as he was very zealous for the Lord, the God of Israel (1 Chronicles 16:4-11). As a result, right from the early days of his reign as king in Israel, he planned and prepared to build a temple for the God of Israel at Jerusalem in Judah (2 Samuel 7:1-2; 2 Chronicles 3:1-2). However, God made it clear to David that he is not the one who would build a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, but one of his sons whom the Lord his God would choose after him as king in Israel will build a temple for the Lord in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 7:1-2, 12-16). Although God stopped David from building a temple for his God, in his enthusiasm he found a place for the building of the temple and made expensive and extensive preparations for the building of the temple for the Lord his God in Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 21:18-22:19; 28:1-6; 29:1-9). While David was making preparations for building the temple for the Lord his God, he prepared a place for the ark of God [the ark of the covenant of the Lord] and pitched a tent for it (1 Chronicles 15:1) and brought it from the house of Obed-Edom and set it inside the tent that he had pitched for it (1 Chronicles 15:25; 16:1), as it is mentioned: 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 (1 Chronicles 16:1-3). The entire community who gathered there praised the Lord the God of Israel as they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord their God (1 Chronicles 16:1b-2a). David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to extol, thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel (1 Chronicles 16:4) and priests to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God (1 Chronicles 16:6b). David together with the priests, Levites, musicians and others gave praise to the Lord, the God of their fathers, in the following manner [for God’s mercy and all the wonderful things He had done for them], as it is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 16:1-36

• • David appointed the Levites to minister before the Lord, the God of Israel (16:4a)
  • David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord (16:4b)
  • David appointed some of the Levites to extol the Lord, the God of Israel (16:4c)
  • David appointed some of the Levites to thank and praise the Lord, the God of Israel (16:4d)
  • David appointed priests to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God (16:6b)
  • David along with the Levites worshipped the Lord their God (16:8a)
  • Give praise to the Lord (16:8b)
  • Proclaim His name (16:8c)
  • Make known among the nations what He has done (16:8d)
  • Sing to the Lord Lord Almighty (16:9a)
  • Sing praises to Him who care for us (16:9b)
  • Tell of all His wonderful acts to everyone near and far (16:9c)
  • Glory in His holy name (16:10a)
  • Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice (16:10b)
  • Look to the Lord and His strength (16:11a)
  • Seek His face at all times (16:11b)
  • Remember the wonders the Lord has done for everyone who called upon His name (16:12a)
  • Remember the wonders the miracles the Lord has done (16:12b)
  • Remember the judgments the Lord has pronounced (16:12c)
  • Everyone who belongs to Him praise the Lord and serve Him (16:13a)
  • You His servants who carryout His plans praise the Lord (16:13b)
  • You the descendants of Israel praise the Lord (16:13c)
  • You His chosen ones praise His holy name (16:13d)
  • You the children of Jacob praise His holy name (16:13e)
  • The Lord God Almighty is the Lord our God (16:14a)
  • The judgments of the Lord God Almighty are in all the earth (16:14b)
  • The Lord remembers his covenant forever (16:15a)
  • The Lord remembers the promise He made (16:15b)
  • The Lord remembers the promises He made for generation after generation (16:15c)
  • The Lord remembers the covenant He made with Abraham (16:16a)
  • The Lord remembers the oath He swore to Isaac (16:16b)
  • The Lord remembers His decrees He confirmed to Jacob (16:17a)
  • The Lord remembers the decrees He confirmed to Israel as an everlasting covenant (16:17b)
  • The Lord remembers His promises that He made with His chosen people (16:18a)
  • The Lord remembers His promises that He will give the land of Canaan as an inheritance to His people (16:18b)
  • God blessed them to multiply and increase when they were just few in number (16:19a)
  • The Lord remembers that their ancestors were strangers in the land that they received now as an inheritance (16:19b)
  • The Lord remembers that their ancestors wandered from nation to nation (16:20a)
  • The Lord remembers that their ancestors wandered from one kingdom to another (16:20b)
  • The Lord remembers that He didn’t allow no one to oppress them (16:21a)
  • The Lord rebuked kings for the sake of their ancestors (16:21b)
  • The Lord did not allow anyone to touch His anointed ones (16:22a)
  • The Lord did not allow anyone to harm His prophets (16:22b)
  • It is time to invite all the earth to sing to the Lord (16:23a)
  • An invitation to proclaim God’s salvation day after day (16:23b)
  • It is time to declare God’s glory among the nations (16:24a)
  • It is time to declare God’s marvelous deeds among all peoples (16:24b)
  • The Lord is great and most worthy of praise (16:25a)
  • The Lord is to be feared above all gods (16:25b)
  • It is time to recognize that all the gods of the nations are idols (16:26a)
  • The Lord alone is God and He is the One who made the heavens (16:26b)
  • Splendor and majesty are before the Lord God who created the cosmos (16:27a)
  • There is strength and joy in his dwelling place (16:27b)
  • Invitation to all you families of nations to glorify the Lord (16:28a)
  • Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength (16:28b)
  • Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name (16:29a)
  • Bring an offering and come before him (16:29b)
  • Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness (16:29c)
  • Tremble before the Lord, all the earth (16:30a)
  • The Lord has firmly established the world and it cannot be moved (16:30b)
  • Let the heavens rejoice in the Lord God who created it (16:31a)
  • Let the earth be glad that the Lord created it (16:31b)
  • Let the heaven and earth say among the nations that the Lord reigns (16:31c)
  • Let the sea resound, and all that is in it (16:32a)
  • Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them (16:32b)
  • Let the trees of the forest sing (16:33a)
  • Let them sing for joy before the Lord (16:33b)
  • The Lord comes to judge the earth (16:33c)
  • Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good (16:34a)
  • The Lord’s love endures forever (16:34b)
  • Cry out to the Lord God our Savior to save us (16:35a)
  • Cry out and ask the Lord to gather us and deliver us from the nations (16:35b)
  • Let all give thanks to the holy name of our Lord God (16:35c)
  • Let us all gloryfy the Lord our God in and through our praise and worship (16:35d)
  • Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting (16:36a)
  • Let all the people say Amen to all that is said about the Lord our God (16:36b)
  • Let everyone Praise the name of the Lord for ever and ever (16:36c)

Similar praiseworthy details in response to God’s mercy and wonderful acts towards His chosen people could be found in several Psalms. For instance, parts of these praise and worship is restated in Psalms like 96:1-13; 105:1-15; 106:1, 47-48, and so on. Such praise and thanksgiving worship offered before God reveals the fact that God accepts genuine praise and worship from His people that is offered to Him with a purity of heart and reverence. According to the Old Testament pattern, it is clear from the passage of 1 Chronicles 16:4-7 that such praise and worship is chiefly offered to God by the priests, Levites, and musicians along with the king [David] (refer to Exodus 19:5-6; Isaiah 61:6), but according to the New Testament pattern all believers are eligible to offer praise and worship before the Lord their God because everyone who confesses with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in their heart that God raised him from the dead is saved (refer to Romans 10:9; 1 John 4:15) and they will be called the priests of the Most High God, as it is mentioned: You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9; also refer to 2:5; Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6).

What we can understand from the praise and thanksgiving offered before God by king David, the priests, the Levites, the musicians, the elders of the community, and everyone who gathered around in the presence of God is that they were stepped out of their comfort zone and set apart some time to offer their praise and thanksgiving before the Lord their God for all that the Lord had done for them. Similarly, as children of God redeemed through the blood of Christ, we ought to set apart time and space to specifically praise and thank and worship the Lord our God who created us, who redeemed us, who saved our life from the bondage of sin and death and blessed us with everlasting life and sustains us every moment of our life. This shows that it is not just enough to think about God or postpone the opportunity to offer praise and worship the Lord for a later time. We need to praise and worship God continually and regularly, as the author of Hebrews urges us as travelers and strangers in this world: For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased (Hebrews 13:14-16). Both the Old Testament and the New Testament Scriptures are particular about the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offering before God for who He is and what He does for us; for instance: Psalms 50:14 states that Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High; Psalm 95:2 states that Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song; Psalm 107:8-9 states that Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things; Ephesians 5:19-20 states that Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and 1 Thessalonians 5:18 states that Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

In the light all that we discussed above, let us set apart time and space to praise His holy name for who He is and be grateful for all that He has done for us (16:8a); proclaim all His wonders and deeds He has performed on our behalf (16:8b-9a); and worship Him through songs and music (16:9b); and seek the Lord our God earnestly at every moment of our life (16:10-11). We, as His dear Children who are redeemed through His beloved Son’s blood, are called proclaim and make known His name among everyone who are around us …

• • We are called to proclaim his name (16:8a)
  • We are sent to make known among the nations what he has done (16:8b)
  • We are appointed to sing praise to Him (16:9a)
  • We are chosen to tell of all his wonderful acts (16:9b)
  • We are called to declare the glory in his holy name (16:10a)
  • We are called to seek His face always (16:11b).

Dear friends in the Lord Jesus Christ, as we conclude this week’s meditation, let us praise His holy name and worship Him as we present thank offering to Him for all His wonderful deeds  and all the blessings He showered upon our lives. Let us not just present thank offering by our word alone but display it by our deeds also. Let us praise and worship Him with a sincere and undivided heart and present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, as Apostle Paul urged the believers in Rome: I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship (Romans 12:1). May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!