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Love To Tell His Story
Sept 18, 2014

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! —1 Chronicles 16:8

Bible in a Year:
Proverbs 30-31; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

When noted author Studs Terkel was looking for a topic for his next book, one of his friends suggested “death.” While he was resistant at first, the idea gradually began to take shape, but its voice became all too real when Mr. Terkel’s wife of 60 years passed away. Now the book was also a personal search: a yearning to know what lies beyond, where his loved one had just gone. Its pages are a poignant reminder of our own search for Jesus and the questions and concerns we have about eternity while we walk our faith journey.

I’m thankful for the assurance we can have that we will be with Jesus after we die if we have trusted in Him to forgive our sin. There is no greater hope. It is now our privilege to share that hope with as many as we can. First Peter 3:15 encourages us: “. . . always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” We have the opportunity from God, as David said, to “call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples” (1 Chron. 16:8).

The stories of so many people we love are not yet ended, and the privilege to tell them about the love of Jesus is a gift most precious.

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. —Hankey

Let our days be filled with a longing— and the opportunities—to tell our story of Jesus.

Insight

The psalm David sings in 1 Chronicles 16:7-33 seems to be drawn from parts of several different psalms found in the Hebrew psalter. According to The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, the lyrics of verses 8-22 closely parallel Psalm 105:1-15. In verses 23-33, the song seems to continue with words from Psalm 96, while the remainder of the song (vv.34-36) relates to the ideas expressed in Psalm 106. In this way, David’s song resembles a modern hymn medley, where parts of several songs are combined together to express the singer’s heart of worship.