Genuine Worship
Worship should be all about God and not about us. When we engage in genuine worship, we must be willing to do whatever we can do to show God how worthy He is, even if it means acting in a way that someone else would consider "undignified." That is what David had to show his wife, Michal, when he returned from worshiping the Lord, as they brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.(II Samuel 6:22) We would all do well to hear his words and apply them to our worship.
If we are concerned about what other people think of how we worship God, we will not fully worship Him. God will be robbed of our genuine worship. That is sin. Therefore, we must enter His presence when we worship, and we must sing and express ourselves in ways that show Him our praise and honor for that moment. It must not be ritual. It must not be repetition or habit. Worship has to be sincere and fesh each time we appear before the Lord by ourselves or in a group.
David danced before the Lord, as he played music. That was his expression from his heart. It might not fit you or me, but if we are not willing to do something like that because of those around us, we are failing to genuinely worship the Lord. David was willing to humble himself, even though he was king. It did not bring him down in the eyes of the people, but only in the eyes of those who thought he should be restrained in his worship. I pray that we would never be restrained, but we would fully worship the Lord.
Does this mean that we act crazy or chaotic? It never means that. God is a God of order and logic. David played a song that God had taught him how to play. It took skill. His dance was a part of the music. It was for God's pleasure, not for his pleasure. I see things today that are "undignified" being done in worship, and they are not God focused or God honoring. It must bring God worship, not just be exciting or fun. Worship is serious. I pray we will enjoy it to the fullest extent, and give God all of the glory in the process of exalting Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Samuel 7-9.
If we are concerned about what other people think of how we worship God, we will not fully worship Him. God will be robbed of our genuine worship. That is sin. Therefore, we must enter His presence when we worship, and we must sing and express ourselves in ways that show Him our praise and honor for that moment. It must not be ritual. It must not be repetition or habit. Worship has to be sincere and fesh each time we appear before the Lord by ourselves or in a group.
David danced before the Lord, as he played music. That was his expression from his heart. It might not fit you or me, but if we are not willing to do something like that because of those around us, we are failing to genuinely worship the Lord. David was willing to humble himself, even though he was king. It did not bring him down in the eyes of the people, but only in the eyes of those who thought he should be restrained in his worship. I pray that we would never be restrained, but we would fully worship the Lord.
Does this mean that we act crazy or chaotic? It never means that. God is a God of order and logic. David played a song that God had taught him how to play. It took skill. His dance was a part of the music. It was for God's pleasure, not for his pleasure. I see things today that are "undignified" being done in worship, and they are not God focused or God honoring. It must bring God worship, not just be exciting or fun. Worship is serious. I pray we will enjoy it to the fullest extent, and give God all of the glory in the process of exalting Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Samuel 7-9.