1 Chronicles 16
1So they brought the ark of God and placed it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3Then he distributed to every man and woman of Israel a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. 4David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to celebrate, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. 5Asaph was the chief, Zechariah was second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, while Asaph sounded the cymbals 6and the priests Benaiah and Jahaziel blew the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. 7On that day David first committed to Asaph and his brothers this song of thanksgiving to the LORD: 8“Give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations. 9Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders. 10Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 11Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. 12Remember the wonders He has done, His marvels, and the judgments He has pronounced, 13O offspring of His servant Israel, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones. 14He is the LORD our God; His judgments carry throughout the earth. 15Remember His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations— 16the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac. 17He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: 18‘I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.’ 19When they were few in number, few indeed, and strangers in the land, 20they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. 21He let no man oppress them; He rebuked kings on their behalf: 22‘Do not touch My anointed ones! Do no harm to My prophets!’ 23Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Proclaim His salvation day after day. 24Declare His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all peoples. 25For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 26For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens. 27Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy fill His dwelling. 28Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 29Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness; 30tremble before Him, all the earth. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. 31Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice. Let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns!’ 32Let the sea resound, and all that fills it; let the fields exult, and all that is in them. 33Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth. 34Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever. 35Then cry out: ‘Save us, O God of our salvation; gather and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, that we may glory in Your praise.’ 36Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” Then all the people said, “Amen!” and “Praise the LORD!” 37So David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to minister there regularly according to the daily requirements, 38along with Obed-edom and his sixty-eight relatives. Obed-edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah, were to be gatekeepers. 39And David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon 40to regularly present burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offerings, morning and evening, according to all that was written in the Law of the LORD, which He had commanded Israel to keep. 41With them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, for “His loving devotion endures forever.” 42Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for the songs of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate. 43Then all the people departed for their homes, and David returned home to bless his household.
Life is short. Where are you going?
You just read God’s own words, and one day every one of us will stand before Him. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). This life will be over sooner than you think — do you know where you are going when it is?
The Bible says, “Man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). If you died today, would you be ready?
Are you a good person?
Most of us think we are. But God doesn’t measure us against other people — He measures us by His Law. Look honestly at the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17):
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
- Honor your father and mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness.
- You shall not covet.
Have you ever told a lie — even a small one? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word? Have you ever wanted what belongs to someone else? Jesus said that anyone who looks with lust “has already committed adultery … in his heart” (Matthew 5:28), and the Bible says “everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
If we’re honest, we have all broken God’s Law — and “whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). “There is no one righteous, not even one … there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10–12).
That leaves every one of us guilty before a holy God. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and “whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). This is why our world is full of tragedy — and without Christ, every life ends in the greatest tragedy of all.
But God made a way
“God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived the perfect life we never could, and on the cross He took the punishment we deserved: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Three days later He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
It’s like standing guilty in court when the judge steps down and pays your fine himself. Forgiveness is a free gift — you can’t earn it: “It is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.” Jesus — John 10:10
What will you do with Jesus?
“Repent and believe in the gospel!” (Mark 1:15). Turn from your sin, and put your trust in Jesus alone — “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). Don’t put it off — “now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
And when you turn to Him, you won’t be met with a frown — you’ll be met with a celebration. Jesus said, “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). God says, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live” (Ezekiel 33:11). He is “mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness … He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Like the father who ran to embrace his lost son, He is waiting with open arms — and heaven throws a party when you come home (Luke 15:20–24).
If you died today, where would you spend eternity? Today you can be forgiven, made new, and have real, abundant life — now and forever.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.