Passage Read: 1 Chronicles 15-18
Meditation Verse: 16:4
Thought
The temple was a place of worship that was open all the time, in operation all day, every day. There were set times for worship, the morning and evening sacrifices, but people could come and go any time. But it wasn't really about the people coming and going, but about giving God the worship and honor He deserves. So the priests offered sacrifice to the Lord morning and evening and at other designated times, and here David appoints some of the Levites to sing praise to the Lord, to make supplication and to give thanks to the Lord. David treated the Lord as real, and as seated on His throne in the tabernacle of the Lord or upon the ark of the covenant. So he stationed people to speak to the Lord, to praise Him and thank Him throughout the day and week and month and year. Like the actual throne room of God, where the angels and the elders praise and worship the Lord continually.
Application
The work of pastors and worship leaders and other church servants all seem oriented around the people who come to worship, and there is that side of it. But really, there should be someone worshiping the Lord at all times, focused on God, not the people, giving glory to God regularly, throughout the week, every day. God is real and the focus of our worship and the One from whom we need to seek help. We should have people or be people who worship God all day long, thank Him, praise Him and seek His help regularly, at least morning and evening. But really, He deserves praise and thanks all day long. As a pastor, I should be thinking of my work in these terms, not just in service to people, but in service to the Lord, giving Him the glory He deserves throughout the day. As an individual Christian, I should be doing the same thing.