1 Chronicles 16 describes what happens when we make a place for God to the center of our life. First we see renewal, then joy, followed by exuberant praise. The chapter begins, “They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. Remember from the sacrifices described in Leviticus, first came the Burnt offering to cover sin. The whole sacrifice was dedicated to God, and man had no part. Only after that could the Fellowship offering (or Peace offering) be made and this was open to everyone to participate in. Notice that the order is set; our sin must be atoned for before we can have peace with God. Far too many people try to find peace with God first and that only leads to frustration. Romans 5:8 changed my life because while I was looking for peace, I found I needed forgiveness. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us“. I realized that Jesus paid the whole price for my sins; all that was required from me was to believe. After fellowship with God is restored, praise naturally follows! King David “appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel” We get a sense that this praise was a release of the real joy that the people felt and it had to be expressed outwardly.
The chapter continues with the psalm David wrote to express all that was in his heart. “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice“. This is an invitation to let it out and let anyone in earshot hear. “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced… He remembers his covenant forever“. I think David is reminding us that when we stop to think back on all that God has done, it not only lifts us, but encourages those around us. 1 John 4:19 says it this way, “We love Him because He first loved us.” David continues, “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“.
David understood, once we experience God’s forgiveness, all we can do is, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Cry out, “Save us, O God our Savior”. The psalm ends with, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise the Lord’.” Ultimately the restored relationship with God flows over to every other relationship in our life. “Then all the people left, each for his own home, and David returned home to bless his family“. Positive thinking will not produce joy. Doing good deeds will not produce joy. Self-sacrifice will not produce joy. No, real joy comes from having our relationship with God restored. Ephesians 5:2 reminds us, “Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma“. “Therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise the fruit of lips that confess his name” (Hebrews 13:15).