Worship Freely and Joyfully

Without worrying about what other people think

Photo from PxHere

David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’S people Israel — I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

2 Samuel 6:21–22 NIV

These two verses are a part of a larger story. David had become king over all of Israel and made Jerusalem his capital. Then he decided to bring the ark of the covenant, constructed by Moses, into Jerusalem. The first attempt ended in disaster. But eventually, David tried again, bringing the ark into Jerusalem with great rejoicing. The procession into the city may seem strange with the sacrifice of so many animals and the leaping and dancing of the king. But it was, for David, a time of great rejoicing. A time to worship the Lord freely and joyfully.

We do not have an external symbol of God’s presence today like the ark. And David’s mode of worship is not necessarily one that we need to mimic. But what is worth copying is David’s joy in his worship experience. He was not concerned about what other people thought. He was going to give himself fully to celebrating and worshipping the Lord, even if others considered him an undignified fool.

And that is a lesson I can certainly learn from. When I worship the Lord, I should do it with all my being, unconcerned with how others might view me. And this is true, not just when gathered for a formal worship service. But also in my day-to-day life. As I serve the Lord, it should be with all that I am. To be willing to be considered a fool by those who do not understand. It is what the Lord thinks that matters.

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