16 April | Youth
«That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of thanks to the Lord.» 1 Chronicles 16:7, NET
David was a grateful man. How do I know this? He recognized the hand of God acting on his behalf at each stage of his journey. He was crowned king and made it his government's number one goal to bring the ark back to Jerusalem. And he was happy when he managed to make this dream come true.
One late afternoon, David was in his palace and saw the tabernacle on the other side, on the mountain in front of him, and he thought: “I live in a palace, and my God lives in a tent. I will build a house for God” (see 1 Chron. 17:1). The Lord did not allow him to do it, but He let David make all the preparations for the construction of the temple. More than that, the king prepared the liturgy for the worship. He composed most of the temple’s hymnal. He created some instruments, prepared the choir and appointed the worship minister.
Most of David's psalms begin with attitudes of praise, exaltation and gratitude to God. David had a grateful heart to God for everything the Lord had done for him personally and also for his people. What can we learn from David about gratitude?
A grateful heart never forgets God's deeds. It praises and exalts the name of the Lord and talks about what the Lord has already done. Whatever the situation, there will always be reasons to thank God! David not only praised and gave thanks with his lips, but he had a grateful spirit.
If you are a young person who loves the Lord, sing with joy and gratitude. But do more than sing, because in church, music is more than art. It is worship. Live to give thanks to the Lord for His wonders! In several psalms of thanksgiving, we learn that God's love lasts forever. This is more than enough reason to have a grateful heart.
Ellen White advises: “We need to praise God more […]. We are the constant recipients of God's mercies, and yet how little gratitude we express, how little we praise Him for what He has done for us” (Steps to Christ, p. 102). Make your life a psalm of exaltation to God. Allow gratitude for the Lord’s great deeds to guide your existence.