1.d. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Chronicles 16:35  “Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting!” Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

Psalms 105:45    that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!

Psalms 79:9-10    Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake!

Psalms 105:45    that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!

1 Peter 2:9     But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Chronicles 16:9-10    Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!  Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice!

A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that WE, YOU, I, may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called US, ME, YOU out of darkness into His marvelous light.  We are to be set aside and conform to His word.  We are to meditate on His word.  We are to proclaim His word.  We are to rejoice in His word.  We are to obey His word.  We are to listen to His word.  We are to give thanks for His word.  We are to trust His word.  His word is Jesus Christ and in Him, we find salvation and deliverance for our souls.  We have much to praise Jesus Christ for but none more worthy than His love demonstrated in being a willing sacrifice for our/my sin.  He did this while I was yet a sinner and when the time was right, and my heart was softened, and I was aware of my sin and His redemption, and He called me to Himself, and I asked for forgiveness, repented and turned away from my self-centered sinful ways, and trusted in His redeeming blood, for this is the reason for eternal hope, everlasting joy, and Jesus honoring, and obeying lives.

1.c. Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!

1 Chronicles 16:8  Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Israel his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. Remember his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,

Isaiah 12:4    And you will say in that day: “Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted.

1 Corinthians 1:2   To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Psalms 145:5-6    On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.  They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.

Psalms 78:3-6    things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.  We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

1 Kings 8:43   hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you,

Give thanks, call upon His name, and make known his deeds – these are actions a person who has given their whole heart, mind, and soul to God will do.  When we call upon His name we are honoring and recognizing God as the all powerful, all loving, one and only God who can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine.   We demonstrate that deep within our heart and soul and mind we trust in, cling to, and rely on God in all things.  When we call on Him we are surrendering our trust in self  to trust in God.  When we call on Him we acknowledge that He is able to protect us. strengthen us, guide us, and give us peace in the midst of the storms of life.  We give thanks to Him for what He has done, what He is doing, and for what He has promised to do.  He alone is our heart and mind meditating on.  Giving thanks to God keeps us humble because we see the hand of Him in our life and do not take credit for it ourselves.  We make known these acts of God because we love Him and cannot contain the awesome and majestic work He has done in our life.

If we are no calling on God, we will not have reason to give Him thanks, we will have no reason to make known His deeds.  In other  words we are being nothing more than those who spoke of God with their lips but their heart and minds were far from Him.

Praise Him

“But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.  Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.”

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,  and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”  But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?

Psalms 33:1  Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.  He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

Psalms 97:12   Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!

Psalms 32:11  Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalms 147:1  Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

Psalms 135:3   Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!

Isaiah 42:10  Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth

Psalms 98:1  Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Ezekiel 33:31  And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

Isaiah 29:13  And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

Deuteronomy 5:28  “And the LORD heard your words, when you spoke to me. And the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken.  Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear me and to keep all my commandments, that it might go well with them and with their descendants forever!

Psalms 106:12  Then they believed his words; they sang his praise.  But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.

Praising God, shouting for joy, singing a new song, being glad, rejoicing, and giving thanks are all actions that come from a heart and mind serving God with reverence, awe and wonder.  We choose to do these actions and at the same time they are a natural outpouring of our soul to God for the great compassion and love He has shown and will continue to show to those who seek, serve and follow Him.  Do you find these actions a natural outpouring in your life?  They should be.  If they aren’t ask God to open your eyes to the many wonders and blessings given to us.  The blessing of promises that He will guide us, lift us up, protect us, be our strength, our hope, our joy, our peace, our place of rest.  The blessings of His word. The blessings of fellow believers.  The blessings of the Holy Spirit.  The blessings of salvation through Jesus Christ.  The blessings of forgiveness.  The blessings and wonders of creation.  The list of blessings is endless.  Praise His name, shout for joy, sing, be glad, rejoice, and give thanks.