Shout From the Mountaintops

READ:  1 Chronicles 16:23-29

(or the extended passage of 1 Chronicles 16:7-36, also known as "David's Psalm of Thanksgiving)

          Read the passage slowly, keeping in mind that "Shout Bravo!" here means something like "give credit to."

(23-27) Sing to God, everyone and everything!

     Get out his salvation news every day!

Publish his glory among the godless nations,

     his wonders to all races and religions.

And why?  Because God is great--well worth praising!

     No god or goddess comes close in honor.

All the popular gods are stuff and nonsense,

     but God made the cosmos!

Splendor and majesty flow out of him,

     strength and joy fill his place.

(26-29) Should Bravo! To God, families of the peoples,

     in awe of the Glory, in awe of the Strength:  Bravo!

Shout Bravo! To his famous Name,

     lift high an offering and enter his presence!

Stand resplendent in his robes of holiness!

          Read the passage aloud again, but do it this time as if you are speaking convincingly, first to "everyone and everything" (verse 23 addresses the entire planet, including the vegetation and animals of the earth), then to all the "families of the peoples" (verse 28, all nations, all tribes, all classes of people).

THINK:  Read the passage again silently and ponder the following:

     1. Consider the words you most relish.  What phrase did you particularly enjoy saying as you read the passage dramatically?

The part of this psalm that I most enjoy saying is:  "…God made the cosmos.  Splendor and majesty flow out of him, strength and joy fill his place."

     2. What would you most want the earth to know or understand about God?

What I most want the earth to know or understand about God is that the salvation that Christ will bring when He comes again will be for the entire earth, not just for mankind, but for the rest of creation as well.

     3. What would you most want the families of the earth to know or understand about God?

What I most want the people of the earth to know is that there is no god or goddess that could come close in honor, to include ourselves. 

PRAY:  Being by asking God to lead you in your prayer.  Wait for him.  Once you get started, you may wish to say something like, "O God, I’m so glad you are…" and finish with ideas from this psalm.

O God, I'm so glad you are merciful to us when we fall.  I am glad that you hear our prayers even when we do not deserve your kindness.  Your kindness do not just extend to us, they extend to the whole earth.  Everywhere we turn, there is something remarkable and beautiful and terrific to look at and appreciate.  May we give your creation the respect it deserves, but never more than the Creator.

LIVE:  If you could shout this psalm from anywhere in the world, where would that be?  (It might be on a specific mountaintop or by a certain waterfall or even before an international group, such as the United Nations.)  Picture yourself saying these verses from your heart in that setting, without embarrassment or any other reservation.  Rest in your boldness.

The weather has been so nice today, that we opened the windows and doors to let the fresh air in.  It's dark now, and I still have my windows open, and I can hear crickets and tree frogs outside.  It's such a soothing sound that my son has even made a "playlist" of crickets and rain on a nature sounds app I have on my iPad.  The thing is:  the window has been open for so long and I've gotten busy doing other things so that I had practically forgotten about having my windows open or being able to hear the crickets.  Perhaps that's why God says to "Be still and know that He is God."  He's there.  He's talking.  But with our busy-ness of life, we get so used to the noise around us that we forget to pay attention to His voice.  How about we all slow down a notch or two, throttle down, and see if we can't hear God whispering to us in the stillness and quiet.