Our scripture this morning is 1 Chronicles 16:23-25.
Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
This passage recalls King David bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. It is also recorded in 2 Samuel 6:17-20 and Psalm 96, which was used by King David for the occasion. The people are called to celebrate, reflect on their faith, and share God’s glory, declaring it among the nations.
We read “He is to be feared above all gods.” We know He is the only God, all others are fictions we create for ourselves. Sometimes we think the notion of idols is silly in today’s world. However, anything that draws us away from Him is an idol.
We have received the same call: to pray and worship, to love like Jesus, and to evangelize, carrying the Gospel to everyone. The apostle John writes ”Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth“ (1 John 3:18). We must not only speak the words of scripture, we must live them out in our everyday activities, showing God’s love to all.
Gracious God, when we fell into sin, You sent Your son to save us. Help us to live in faith, loving everyone as You first loved us. Amen.