1 Chronicles 16:41

Today in my quiet time I read 1 Chronicles 16:41 and it almost left me speechless.  It says, "With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love endures forever." I don't think I have ever considered the significance of this verse before. The enduring and faithful love of God is so great that Israel had people assigned just to give thanks for it. That blew me away as I contrasted that idea with how often I neglect to be thankful for His love.

Further, this was happening before the cross.  Romans 5:8 could not be written yet.  "But God shows His love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us." We have seen the love of God expressed in the sending of His Son. We have seen God's glory in His Son made flesh (John 1:14). We who are Christians have experienced the transformative power of the Gospel by the work of the Holy Spirit. How much more should we, a people not covered by the blood of bulls and goats but covered by the blood of Christ, continually give thanks to God. How much more should each of us consider ourselves as one "expressly named to give thanks to the Lord."