November 5, 2024

Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks, Repeat

November 16, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Rejoice always!
Pray constantly.
Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 HCSB

You know that feeling you get when you look at a Scripture passage and think “I already know this stuff!” and then God gives you a head slap and says ”Oh, yeah? Check this out!”…?

Yep, just happened to me.

This passage is one of the staples of Christian life.  We learn it at a young age.  It gets used in the hard times.  We offer it to others in times of distress.  It becomes a platitude and we cease to think about what it really means.

I have always looked at this passage as three separate verses— three different directives.  But today God showed me these are a cycle…meant be used together as stepping-stones.

Rejoice always

How on earth are we supposed to always have joy?  There are so many things to worry about or deal with.  Philippians 4:6 (NLT) gives us a clue:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

Only through prayer are we able to rejoice always. As Charles Spurgeon puts it “The more praying, the more rejoicing.”  Joy is not based on our circumstances or emotions.  Circumstances and emotions change as quickly as the weather.  But God doesn’t!

Pray constantly

And just how are we supposed to do that?  Praying doesn’t mean we have to use our voice, be on our knees, or bow our heads.  Anytime is the right time for prayer.  Think of prayer as having an ongoing conversation with your best friend.  Prayer can change our perspective.  Things we see as trials or struggles may actually be bigger blessings in disguise.  Prayer gives God the opportunity to help us see life from His perspective. Colossians 4:2 (NASB) tells us:

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.

Prayer helps us to have an ‘attitude of gratitude.‘

 Give thanks in everything

Notice it doesn’t say FOR everything or in SOME things.  We don’t get to pick and choose what suits us.  We are to be thankful in everything.  I love this quote by Charles Spurgeon: “When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude.”

You may be thinking, “Well, this just takes the cake! How am I supposed to do all this?” Hebrews 13:15 (AMP) holds the key:

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times
offer up to God a sacrifice of praise,
which is the fruit of lips
that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.

Through Jesus we are able to do this. It is not we MUST do it because it is God’s will for us; it is we CAN do it because it is God’s will for us. That one little shift in perspective changes everything. It is cycle…a circle of behavior…that never ends.

Prayer changes our perspective and helps us find joy.  ➛
➛ Joy causes us to rejoice . ➛
➛ Rejoicing makes us thankful. ➛
➛ When we are thankful we offer up prayer and praise.  ➛
➛ Praying reveals and restores our joy…and round and round we go!

Now that is one endless circle I don’t mind being a part of!

  *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for revealing this passage to me in a new light.  Thank You helping me to see each part is a stepping-stone pointing the way to the next step.  I rejoice in You, for You have made me glad.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen – it is so!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I Will Stand In The Congregation

November 15, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart
in the council of the upright and in the congregation.
The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them.
His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion.

Psalms 111:1-4AMP

I will stand in the congregation, and I will exalt You
Let the children of Your salvation lift Your praises, too
Hallelujah!

I will stand in the congregation, and I will praise Your name
With Your people in ev’ry nation I will shout this praise
Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!
You’re the only inspiration for my praise, O God
Hallelujah!

We will join as a congregation and we will exalt You
We will sing as all creation lifts the song anew
Hallelujah!

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm Of Gratitude

November 15, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Psalm of Gratitude
Psalm 138

I give You thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing Your praise;
I bow down toward Your holy temple
and give thanks to Your name for Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness,
for You have exalted above all things
Your Name and Your Word.
On the day I called, You answered me;
my strength of soul You increased.
All the kings of the earth shall give You thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of Your mouth,
and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly,
but the haughty He knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You preserve my life;
You stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;
Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of Your hands.

 Composed by Esther Mui  ~  Scripture, NKJV

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

What do you think of when someone mentions that it is November already … Christmas, snow, shopping, Black Friday…?  I dare say that many times our minds jump right over the National Holiday of Thanksgiving (at least until we think of the big family dinner we have to prepare!)  We have much to be thankful for—now and all year ‘round.

Perhaps you’ll agree with me as I say that I need to slow down from the busyness of this time of year, and take time to sing and meditate on this psalm.  God deserves our thanks from our WHOLE heart:

  • He gave us His WHOLE heart, His steadfast love and His faithfulness, when He gave His only Son to save us. (John 3:16)
  • Not only that, but everyday when we call out to God, He answers us. His Holy Spirit dwells with us to increase our strength. God preserves our life, and His right hand delivers us. (Psalms 23:3-4)
  • God has a purpose for each of us, and He promises to fulfill it in us. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
  • God’s love is so solid that He promises to NEVER forsake the work (you and me) of His hands! (Jeremiah 32:38-41)

There are over 130 verses in the Bible that use some form of the word “thank” in it.  As I have been thinking of Thanksgiving, many of these verses keep coming to mind.  Here are just a very few that you might incorporate into your personal worship time or at your Thanksgiving table:

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.
Psalms 95:2-3

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16:34

I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Psalm 7:17

The LORD is my Strength and my Shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
Psalm 28:7

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Colossians 3:17

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4:15

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
2 Corinthians 9:11

I always thank God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in Him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge.
1 Corinthians 1:4-5

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Will you join me, today and throughout the rest of this month, in giving thanks to our God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?  He deserves our all.

They sang,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and strength belong to our God
forever and ever! Amen.”
Revelation 7:12

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This Week…Psalms 111:1-4

November 14, 2014 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Over the next few weeks, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we will be focusing on gratitude, thankfulness, and giving thanks to Almighty God Who has so richly blessed us.  As the Scripture passage quoted in this beautiful graphic (made just for us!), we will be joyfully proclaiming our ‘thanksgiving to Him with psalms’.  Over the past few days Ahmee, Ann, Cynda, Laura, and Tina have focused their writing to bring our attention to the following verses.

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
I will praise and give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart
In the council of the upright and in the congregation.
The works of the Lord are great, sought out by all those who have delight in them.
His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious, merciful, and full of loving compassion.
Psalms 111:1-4

Cynda asked us, in The Power of Public Praise to consider this: “Where would we be if David and the other authors of the Bible had not shared their praise with us?  Our knowledge of God would be severely limited.  What if friends or family that had seen God work in their lives—deliver them from trouble and despair—hadn’t shared their praise with us?  Our knowledge of His faithfulness would not be as deep.  If we do not share our praise publicly, we risk limiting someone else’s knowledge of God.”

~   ♥   ~

Tina gave us a wonderful acronym T.H.A.N.K.S. to help us remember things to be thankful to God for in Expressions of Thanks!

Throne

  • We are to bring our request to the throne of the One who can grant them.

Heaven

  • When we call upon the name of Jesus, He will take them to our Father as our Intercessor.

Answered

  • God will, in His wisdom, answer our prayers.

Noble

  • Our thoughts should always focus on what is good and noble. We are to train our thoughts on what is right and pure.

Knowledge

  • Our Father will give us a much greater knowledge of His Word. We will want to fill our minds and thoughts with His words, His goodness, His mercy, and His ways.

~   ♥   ~  

In Grateful for His Works, Ann encouraged us to be grateful.  She wrote, “Sisters, it is the will of God for us to be grateful for what He has done.  Each time we should show a grateful heart to the Lord.  Do not murmur when you face adversaries; think of His wondrous works and His care for you night and day.  In fact we need to be grateful and sing new songs to Him…the songs that will be like a sweet aroma to Him.”

~   ♥   ~  

Ahmee asked a really good question in Thankful for Life Itself:  “How often do you thank God for your life?”  She went on to remind us that in Psalm 139:14 David praised God for ‘…making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.’  And that we as human beings who are wonderfully complex.  We know to thank God for all good things.  Therefore, should we not stop to thank God for making us?”

~   ♥   ~

Laura shared with us her heart in her family’s loss of their little baby, along with a simple reminder of how thankful we are for the little ones in our individual families AND church families in Little Bundles of Thanks:  “…when we dedicate our children to the Lord we are thanking Him for sending us this little bundle of joy that brings love, pain, heartache, and everything else that goes along with it. In the company of other believers, we thank God for this little person and pledge…to teach the child to be a person who loves and honors God through worship and service.”

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Oh, Lord, what joy and privilege we have to come before You singing out our gratitude and thanks for all You have done and are doing for us, Your daughters!  May we reach out to those around us—whether we spend time with them each day or we just ‘happen’ to meet them in the grocery store—sharing with them how good, how kind, how gracious, how merciful, how generous, how compassionate, how forgiving, how wonderful You are!  With our whole hearts may we sing Your praise and give You honor and glory!  Thank You, dear Lord, thank You for Your goodness, Your grace, Your mercy, Your love.  We love You and adore You…and we praise and thank You!  In Jesus’ name, amen.  HalleluJAH!   ♥

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Celebration

August 7, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Shout triumphantly to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Acknowledge that Yahweh is God. He made us, and we are His— His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations.

Psalms 100:1-5 HCSB

How wonderful and glorious is the Lord our God!  Each morning is a new day, a new opportunity to praise His name and to celebrate His Creation.  How many times have we strayed and He has welcomed us back with open, loving arms?  Just like the prodigal son, God loves us so very much! Please enjoy this song!

I Will Enter His Gates

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart
I will enter His courts with praise
I will say this is the day that the Lord had made
I will rejoice for He has made me glad
He has made me glad
He has made me glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad
He has made me glad
He has made me glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad

–  Leona Von Brethorst, 1976 Maranatha Music  –

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

More Than Enough

June 5, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.
Psalms 107:21-22

Thanksgiving and rejoicing…those are two beautiful words.

I think it’s wonderful that we can practice thanksgiving at any time during the year; that the act of being thankful isn’t limited to a holiday in the fall.  I’ve decided that one of the best feelings to have is when I can take a deep breath, and offer a true Thank You to my Heavenly Father.

For me, I know that the idea of these two words was somewhat intimidating.  I would wonder what thanks I could offer that would be sufficient, that would truly express the praise He deserves for all He has done in my life.  I knew that I could never meet the requirement (or that’s what I thought).  But I came to learn that He didn’t place requirements on the thanks we offer.  He just said to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving.  And how we can—with the gifts we’ve been given, offer thanks through writing, through song, through helps, through whatever method you can.

I learned that thanksgiving and rejoicing are everyday acts.  They are things we can do when we wake up, when we’re working, when we’re talking to friends.  They are things that can become part of our character, things we can practice, and things that can become second nature.  This is definitely something that I have been working on and something that I want to continue to work on.  Daily He is by my side, helping me in these endeavors.  This week let’s focus on thanksgiving…let’s focus on rejoicing!

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for Your love and kindness, for Your patience, and for the gifts You gave us that we can use to offer You thanks.  At times we may not know how to offer thanksgiving, it may not feel adequate, but to You it is beautiful.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

CHRISTLife — A Quiet Time (Part Three)

February 22, 2014 by

IMG_1391

Each Saturday recently we have been looking in-depth at a few of the most important aspects of having a quiet time—or as some folks call it—a devotional time.  Already we have talked about two very foundational aspects of a quiet time—Bible reading and singing praises.  This week we are remembering the importance of being thankful and expressing our gratitude to our Father.

Truly, is there anything else that you can think of that can so change your heart’s attitude more than thankfulness?  I don’t think it presumptuous to say that every one of us has had times of worry, sorrow, despair, grief, anguish, pain in which we turned our hearts to seek God and found ourselves praising and thanking Him for His goodness and kindness towards us.  True?

Before we go any further, let’s stop for just five minutes and worship our God voicing our thanks and our praise!


~  Thank You  – Hillsong / Songwriter – Reuben Morgan  ~
Thank You for Your kindness, thank You for Your mercy
Thank You for the Cross, thank You for the price You paid

Thank You for salvation, thank You for unending grace
Thank You for Your hope, thank You for this life You gave

There is no one like You…There is no one like You, God
All my hope is in You, Jesus Jesus

To Your name we give all the glory
To Your name we give all the praise
And You’re alive—Our God everlasting—let Your face shine on us

Thank You for Your promise, thank You for Your favor
Thank You for Your love…everything You’ve done for me

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The Psalmist, writer of many, many songs of thanks and praise, had this in his heart:

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?
Psalms 106:1 and 2 AMP

Who can speak forth enough words to tell all the wonderful, mighty things that God has done?  Or who can utter all the praise that is due Him?  Clearly the simple answer is ‘No one.’  But that doesn’t mean we don’t still thrill to voice our gratitude and thankfulness to our Great God!

I checked out Webster’s definition of thankfulness:

THANK’FUL, adjective.
Grateful; impressed with a sense of kindness received, and ready to acknowledge it.

• The Lord’s supper is to be celebrated with a thankful remembrance of His sufferings and death.
• Be thankful to Him, and bless his name (Psalm 100).

I think Mr. Webster’s definition clearly shows that thankfulness is both thought and action—you ‘sense’ having received <God’s> kindness AND you ‘acknowledge’ it. Here’s a great example:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come before His presence with singing!
Know that the Lord is God!
It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]!
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving
and a thank offering and into His courts with praise!
Be thankful and say so to Him,
bless and affectionately praise His name!
For the Lord is good;
His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting,
His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.
Psalm 100

The Psalmist was confessing—remembering—just a few things he was grateful for, AND voicing his gratitude.  We can—we should—do the same! We have oh-so-very-much to be thankful for, amen?  We definitely ‘sense’ God’s abundant goodness and kindness to us, true?  And we acknowledge it through our words of gratitude and thankfulness.

I will thank Yahweh with all my heart;
I will declare all Your wonderful works.
Psalm 9:1

I cried to You, O Lord, and to the Lord I made supplication.
Hear, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!
To the end that my tongue and my heart
and everything glorious within me
may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
Psalms 30:10, 12

So in your quiet time (but not ONLY in your quiet time!) may I encourage you to tell Your Father how very grateful you are for His goodness, for His protection, for His healing, for His deliverance, for His provision, for His calling, for His admonition, for His guidance, for His love, grace and mercy!  And give Him much thanks!  (Perhaps you might share with us something you have thanked Him for just today…?  Leave your comment below; thanks!)

Keep worshipping Him and enjoying your quiet time with your Lord!  As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!

Filed Under: CHRISTLife Bible Study Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What Does Thankfulness Mean to You?

November 28, 2013 by

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Children are out of school for a few days, many people do not have to go to work (though some do), and most of us spend at least some portion of the day with extended family members. As we are in the midst of this celebration, it is a really good thing to stop and consider what it is we are celebrating.

What does thankfulness mean to you? www.girlfriendscoffeehour.com #homeschool #thanksgiving

We all know a bit about the first Thanksgiving and how the settlers joined with the natives to enjoy a meal together. That is something to celebrate. It was how those settlers survived and how our country found its beginning! But shouldn’t we be celebrating something more?

Bible verses about thankfulness

Psalms 95: 2-3  says Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.

1 Timothy 4: 4-5 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,  because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Our God is great, and above all other gods. His Creation is good! We are to receive it with Thanksgiving, as it has been consecrated by Him.

What does thankfulness mean to you?

I asked some of my friends what thankfulness means to them. Here are some of the things they had to say.

Crystal says, “To me, thankfulness is about choosing to focus on our blessings and not our troubles. It’s a way of life.” Get these free printable gratitude cards to use with your children.

Stephanie offers two of her favorite quotes from others.

“If you never learned the lesson of thankfulness, begin now. Sum up your mercies; see what provision God has made for your happiness, what opportunities for your usefulness, and what advantages for your success.” ~Ida S. Taylor

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. “ ~ W. T. Purkiser

Learn more about Stephanie’s thoughts on thankfulness via  her post 30 Quotes About Thanksgiving and Gratitude.

Michelle is thankful for,”The closeness in my family and the dogs that drive me crazy.” Be sure to head over to visit with Michelle and read Thanksgiving Grace.

Pattis says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, and sometimes the best medicine for a complaining spirit is speaking thanks.” Read her entire post, When the Complaining Creeps Back In.

For me, thankfulness is walked out in how I react to my children and family. It is in the way I serve others. Am I thankful for the opportunity I have to teach my children to be thankful through my actions? Am I serving with a thankful heart?

Here are some quotes from others that I found online.

O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.
~ William Shakespeare

We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is “good,” because is it good, if “bad” because it works in us patience, humility, and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.
~ C. S. Lewis

No people on earth have more cause to be thankful than ours, and this is said reverently, in no spirit of boastfulness in our own strength, but with the gratitude to the Giver of good who has blessed us.
~ Theodore Roosevelt

Thankfulness Resources & Activities

Encouraging an Attitude of Gratitude

Last Minute Thanksgiving Fun with the Kids

one thousand gifts, about being thankful, gratitude, Eucharisteo. Ann gives a wonderful new perspective in her book; a practical view of how to remain on our knees and thank God, even through the most difficult things in our lives.

What is it that you are thankful for? Share in the comments!

 

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH, Homeschooling Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Thanksgiving

November 28, 2013 by

At this time of year we come upon a day we call “Thanksgiving.”    We will play games, watch football, and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

We will get together with our families and eat (turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin or pecan pie) and much more…yumm…I’m getting hungry already.

Sometimes before we begin our meal, everyone in the family will tell one thing they are thankful for.   And then after we are all through eating, playing, talking, checking out ads for Black Friday shopping, everyone proceeds to go home—with Thanksgiving now being just a memory in our minds until next year.

Something we all must ingrain on our hearts and minds is that Thanksgiving is not just a one-day-a-year event.

Thanksgiving is a daily opportunity to speak out and express to God how grateful we are.

The Bible tells us we are to “Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

When we make thanksgiving a daily part of our life we will find that our life is much richer and fuller.  When we take time to stop and thank God we will find we have a much softer heart, that our relationship with Him will grow, and our desire to spend more time with Him will increase.

One of the all-time best things we can say thanks for is to God for giving us His Son to die for our sins and allowing us an opportunity to receive salvation and live with Him forever!

Can I stop here and say “WOW”, and “THANKS!“

You can track throughout God’s Word the many times Jesus gave thanks to His Father; here are some: (Matthew11:25;  John 11:41;  Matthew 15:36; John 6:11; Luke 22:17-20;  1 Corinthians 11:23 and 24).   How many times do we give thanks to our Father, Jesus Christ?

 Thanksgiving is not the only day we can say thanks to Him.  I encourage each of you before your feet hit the floor each morning to sit in your bed…and…

Speak out to God your daily thanksgivings!

 

Let’s Pray: 

Dear God,

I pray that each of us will let “Thanksgiving” be a daily prayer not a yearly event.  In your name I pray, Amen!

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

His Love Endures Forever

November 26, 2013 by

 

Don’t you just love to sing this praise anthem?!!?  The words give our hearts such an awesome way to acknowledge God’s goodness and praise Him for His enduring love!

This praise-filled phrase—He is good; His love endures forever—is recorded in many places throughout the Old Testament.  One of the most outstanding records, in my opinion, is found in the 2nd Book of Chronicles, specifically chapters 5-7.

We see (2 Chronicles 5) King Solomon calling the elders of Israel, the leaders, the heads of the tribes (along with all the people of Israel) to accompany the Ark of the Covenant to its long-awaited proper home in the Temple. (It had been his father, David, to whom God has given the vision and provision for the building of the Temple, which was never accomplished in his lifetime.)  The priests brought the Ark to its proper, anointed place in the Holy of Holies.  Surrounding the altar were the Levites and the priests ready to praise in unison with all their instruments and their voices.

The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice.
They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments,
in praise to the LORD: For He is good; His faithful love endures forever.
The temple, the LORD’s temple, was filled with a cloud.
And because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering,
for the glory of the LORD filled God’s temple.
(Verses 13 and 14)

The record of the dedication of the Temple continues (chapters 6 and 7) as Solomon prays and blesses the people.

As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven
and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices,
and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
2 Chronicles 7:1

The peoples response?

When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down
and the glory of the LORD above the temple,
they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground,
and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying,
“He is good; His love endures forever.”
Verse 3

And throughout the continued sacrifices and the ceremony of dedicating the Temple, continual praise “His love endures forever” was offered to God by the priests and the people along with the sacrifices of animals.

And, as such, this <without the animal sacrifice!> should be our continual praise. We are oh-so-very blessed!  The provision and supply that our great God brings to our lives deserves our continual exclamation, “He is good! His love endures forever!”  Just as the psalmist communicates in every single verse of Psalm 136, our conversation and our communication  should always include this praise.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His (steadfast) love endures forever.
Verse 1

As we thank God for His goodness our hearts should overflow with words of gratitude and praise confessing that truly, “His love endures forever!” … Perhaps in your celebration of Thanksgiving with your friends and loved ones, you could have a time of praise and worship and use these same words that David, and Solomon, and the Israelites used to declare God’s goodness.  Because no matter what the age, the situation, the circumstance, the season, the time, the day or the hour… ‘He is good! His love endures forever!’

Here are a few different ways this glorious praise is written in different translations:

  • His love endures forever (NIV)
  • His faithful love endures forever (NLT)
  • His lovingkindness is everlasting (NASB)
  • His mercy endureth for ever (KJV)
  • His steadfast love endures forever (ESV)
  • His love is eternal (HCSB)
  • His loyal love endures (NET)
  • His mercy and lovingkindness are everlasting (AMP)
Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »