“Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength.  Give to the Lord the glory due His name.  Bring an offering and come before Him.  Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!  Tremble before Him all the earth.  The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved.  Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”’  I Chronicles 16:28-31 

David loved to praise the Lord.  Before he was a king, while he was a lowly shepherd, he was a musician.  He had a heart for the Lord and wasn’t ashamed to shout out His praises to God.  The Psalms are filled with prayers, pleadings and songs of thanksgiving from David to the Lord.  He praised for protection; he praised for provision; he praised for wisdom.  David also praised the majesty, mercy, and law of God.  My favorite of David’s songs of thanksgiving is found in I Chronicles, chapter 16.

The Ark of Lord was sacred to the children of Israel.  It contained the tablets on which Moses inscribed the Ten Commandments, scrolls of the law, Aaron’s rod.  It was kept hidden from view of all but the Levite Priests who cared for it.  The Ark led the way when the Israelites were moving across the desert.  It led the Army of Israel whenever they went into battle.  The cavalry didn’t go first.  Chariots, bowmen, great soldiers of battle didn’t lead the army of Israel; God’s glory led the way.  So long as the people of God respected the Lord and what the Ark represented, it was a symbol of His protection over His people.

During a battle with the Philistines, the Ark was lost when the Israelites used the Ark as a “good luck charm” rather than seeking God’s will in the battle.  Israel lost the battle and the Philistines captured the Ark.  It wasn’t until David became King of Israel that God allowed the Ark to return to Israel.

David revered and honored God and all that the Ark and its contents represented.  David understood the importance of the Ark and of God’s law.  God honored him and his desire to bring Israel back into submission to the Lord.  Because of this, the Ark was returned to Israel.

What a party ensued!  David had a place prepared for the Ark and mandated that the Levites alone would be allowed to carry it home, as the Lord had anointed them to bear that honor.  David and all of Israel danced and praised, shouted with joy, played instruments as the Ark was carried through Jerusalem and placed in the Tabernacle.  Offerings were made to the Lord.  David blessed God’s people in the name of the Lord and gave them gifts of meat, bread and cakes of raisins.  Then, David sang the most beautiful song of Thanksgiving to the Lord.  From verse 8 through verse 36 in I Chronicles chapter 16, this song goes up to the Lord in praise for His greatness, His mercy, His judgment, His salvation.

David praised God for who He is, not for what He could do for him.  Because of David’s humility and reverence, God blessed him and made a covenant with Him.

How often do we look at the perfection of God – His creation, His glory, His love for His children, His mercy, His never-changing laws and judgment – and say “I am thankful Lord just for who you are?”  I think it’s safe to say that most of us would say “not often.”  Or, perhaps, “not ever.”

It’s important we don’t forget who the Lord is.  He is God, and He deserves all glory and praise, not only for what He does, but more importantly for who He is.  We must remember to offer our own songs of Thanksgiving to God and to honor Him as Lord of our lives.