God Speaks
King David Brings the Ark of the LORD to Jerusalem
Verse of the Day: [After a failed attempt, David learned an important lesson and gave this instruction to the priests.] He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of Him about how to do it in the prescribed way.” (1 Chronicles 15:12-13)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding I Chronicles 13-16:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
I Chronicles 13
1. God blesses those who properly care for the things of God as Obed-Edom did the ark of God.
2. Leaders are wise to gather their people together and consult the LORD as David did.
I Chronicles 14
1. God makes even their enemies be at peace with strong leaders who follow Him.
2. People should inquire of the LORD when making decisions just as David did.
I Chronicles 15
1. God often gives people second chances (sometimes more) when they fail to heed His instructions the first time.
2. People (especially leaders) need to be careful to follow God’s instructions as He has laid them out in the Bible.
I Chronicles 16
1. God is worthy of all the praise, honor, and exaltation we can offer Him.
2. People are right to leap for joy and exultation as David did as he brought the ark of God to the city of David. [Psalm 96:1-13 also contains some of the same wording.]
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding I Chronicles 13-16?
Dear LORD God Almighty, You are my Savior and my God. I give thanks to You and proclaim Your greatness. I sing praise to You and tell everyone about Your wonderful deeds. I jump for joy at the sound of Your Holy name. I seek Your presence and Your strength continually. I recount the countless blessings You have bestowed on Your chosen ones in the past and in the present, as well as what You have for us in the future. O LORD God, we need an outpouring of Your justice throughout the land. We need You to fulfill Your covenant to Abraham for a thousand generations of his descendants (either physical or spiritual). I admit that I (and any other mere human being) cannot keep my side of that agreement. Only Jesus could and did on behalf of all mankind. Enemies are attacking Your chosen ones, LORD. We need You to say again, “Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.” May people throughout the whole earth hear and proclaim the good news that Jesus saves. Great are You, LORD and most worthy of praise! No one is like You; human leaders fail, and all so-called gods are worthless idols. There are no substitutes for You. After all, You made the whole universe and everything in it. I call on all the nations and people groups to recognize that only You, LORD, are glorious and strong enough to deal with the vast, complex problems of our day. May everything–animals, vegetation, and the earth itself–shout Your praise and sing Your glory. When You take action to save and rescue us, we will give You all the glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to I Chronicles 13-16? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ask the LORD how He wants me to come into His presence; then I will follow His exact instructions.
- I will volunteer to help clean my local congregation’s meeting place (taking care of the things of God).
- I will inquire of the LORD the next time I have a problem or face a major decision, just like King David did.
- I will use I Chronicles 16:8-36 as an outline in prayer (particularly in a corporate time of worship and prayer).
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.