Heman and Jeduthun

With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, “for his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:41

There is a good chance you have never heard of these two men; they’re among the Bible’s more inconspicuous characters. In the wonderful worship choirs of King David, they were appointed to give thanks. Heman and Jeduthun were under the king’s authority (see 1 Chronicles 25:6). It was literally their job. And it’s your job too! You’re under the authority of the King of Kings who commands you to ‘be thankful’,‘offer to God thanksgiving’, ‘come before His presence with thanksgiving’, ‘enter into His gates with thanksgiving’, and ‘in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’ (Colossians 3:15; Psalms 50:14; 95:2; 100:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). Eugene Peterson writes, ‘The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise’ (Philippians 3:3). Have you ever been so moved that you sprang into spontaneous worship? Nothing is more thrilling. You will never know what you’re missing if you don’t praise your Creator with your every fiber. Sing, lift up your hands, cry out, laugh, whatever…if you do it in a spirit of praise, thanksgiving, and gratefulness, God will love it. Plus, thanksgiving leads to better physical, emotional, and mental health. The Creator of your soul is a master psychologist. He knows that thanksgiving is not only appropriate but therapeutic. It’s hard to be thankful and at the same time be grumpy, critical, or ill tempered.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, let words of praise from my mouth drown out the words of critical and grumpy language! In Jesus’ Name, Amen