Seek the Lord
Some wisdom from a celebration song
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Seek the Lord and the strength he gives. Seek his presence continually! Recall the miraculous deeds he performed, his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,
1 Chronicles 16:11-12 (NET)
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This is part of a celebration song by King David.
He had just brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem and was singing for joy.
Something I learned in Seminary:
Songs in the Old Testament often have lines of “preaching” in them, sharing wisdom for us to follow.
These wise, mini-sermons are especially easy to see in the Laments (songs of sadness).
Of course this one is a song of joy and celebration. In this case, it’s happy wisdom that seems to call everyone around to join in.
“Come on, guys. Seek the Lord and the strength He gives…”
I can almost hear one of my happy friends telling me that, wanting me to join in the celebration.
There’s also wisdom here about remembering the mighty works that God has done.
We need to keep reading the stories of God’s miracles in the Bible. About Moses encountering Him at the burning bush. Or God shutting the mouths of the lions to save Daniel. Or the times when God wipes out invading armies to protect His people.
In short, we need to remember that God is good and He is powerful.
Both major themes you can see in Genesis 1.
So, even when my own circumstances feel dire, I can remind myself that God is still good, all the time.
This is the value of memorizing a verse like this.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2025 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
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