In 2 Sam 6:21-22 David says, " I was dancing before the Lord...I celebrate before the Lord. Yes I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!"
His dance before the Lord was so bold, daring even, that his wife called him disgusting, shameless, and vulgar.
I wonder what this dance looked like. But even more I wonder what I would look like, feel like, to express my love to God in worship uninhibited. Sometimes in church I am compelled to kneel down, to jump up, to raise my hands, to shout, to hug others. Yet, I don't. I am always aware of who is around me. I don't want to draw attention to myself. I don't want people to judge me, either positive or negative. But, mostly I don't want my worship of God to be misinterpreted by those around me. I don't want people to think that I think I am somehow better or more holy.
At home I put on praise music, and pray, and try to put myself in that same place I feel when I am at church. But, there is something different in the feeling I get when I am with other believers. I feel more aware of God and the desire is stronger at church to let myself worship how I see fit. At home, where I have the freedom to be myself, with no one around to judge, it is not the same. There is a reason that God wants us to gather together in corporate prayer and worship each week. We are better when we are together.
I envy David. He may have been humiliated in his own eyes, but he danced anyway. He could not contain the love, thankfulness, and joy he was experiencing. I am thankful that God knows my heart. I pray that God would make me a Bold, Courageous, and Obedient Servant of His Word.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
A Lesson in Friendship
I am reading 1 Sam 18 where the relationship between Jonathan, the King's son, and David, God's anointed King, is first described. Verse 1 says there was an immediate bond between them, and that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
Thinking ahead to the next chapters I know that Jonathan is a good man. He knows the Lord and his power to do mighty things through the people who serve Him (1 Sam 14). Jonathan protects David from his father's anger and jealousy many times.
I wonder why the Lord chose David to be King over the heir apparent--Jonathan. It seems to me that Jonathan also is a man after God's own heart. Oh how grateful I am that I am not God. What my mind and my heart see in other people is not what God sees. I am grateful that God can look at each of us and know who we are; what we long to be; and who we serve.
I too have had a few friends in my life with whom I have had an instant bond. I am most grateful to God for the gift he has given me, their friendship, and I look forward with joy to all the time we will spend together in eternity.
In thinking back to days gone by, I am reminded of the many times in my life when sin was rampant: high school, and my early marriage. I am looking at the friendships that I had at the time. In high school, I had lost my best friend and was desperately trying to fit in. I hung out with my brother and his friends, or studied. Youth group was a thing of the past, and I had lost all contact with most of my youth group due to class choice differences. I was a friend to no one in particular. In my early marriage I was also alone. My best friend did not want to be married to me anymore and I had yet to find a church to my liking. I had moved away from the city I was raised in and although I made friends quickly they seldom lasted more than 6 months.
Likewise, I think back on my life to times where I was strongly committed to God: catechism and youth group, and the past five years. In catechism and youth group we had a core group of 6-10 kids that met every week at least 2 times a week in fellowship and studying the word of God. These were friends that were committed to God and to each other. When the group ended, so did most of the friendships, however these are special people that I want to know about their lives via Facebook and reunions. Again, in the last five years, I am dedicated to God and all that He has for me. My deep and abiding friendships are with people that share my same faith and encourage me to grow in Christ. I know that I can count on them for support and they will always tell me the truth. They love me, despite my sins, or my flaws, and I love them.
Thinking ahead to the next chapters I know that Jonathan is a good man. He knows the Lord and his power to do mighty things through the people who serve Him (1 Sam 14). Jonathan protects David from his father's anger and jealousy many times.
I wonder why the Lord chose David to be King over the heir apparent--Jonathan. It seems to me that Jonathan also is a man after God's own heart. Oh how grateful I am that I am not God. What my mind and my heart see in other people is not what God sees. I am grateful that God can look at each of us and know who we are; what we long to be; and who we serve.
I too have had a few friends in my life with whom I have had an instant bond. I am most grateful to God for the gift he has given me, their friendship, and I look forward with joy to all the time we will spend together in eternity.
In thinking back to days gone by, I am reminded of the many times in my life when sin was rampant: high school, and my early marriage. I am looking at the friendships that I had at the time. In high school, I had lost my best friend and was desperately trying to fit in. I hung out with my brother and his friends, or studied. Youth group was a thing of the past, and I had lost all contact with most of my youth group due to class choice differences. I was a friend to no one in particular. In my early marriage I was also alone. My best friend did not want to be married to me anymore and I had yet to find a church to my liking. I had moved away from the city I was raised in and although I made friends quickly they seldom lasted more than 6 months.
Likewise, I think back on my life to times where I was strongly committed to God: catechism and youth group, and the past five years. In catechism and youth group we had a core group of 6-10 kids that met every week at least 2 times a week in fellowship and studying the word of God. These were friends that were committed to God and to each other. When the group ended, so did most of the friendships, however these are special people that I want to know about their lives via Facebook and reunions. Again, in the last five years, I am dedicated to God and all that He has for me. My deep and abiding friendships are with people that share my same faith and encourage me to grow in Christ. I know that I can count on them for support and they will always tell me the truth. They love me, despite my sins, or my flaws, and I love them.
2 Minutes Left
You know that your dream is more than a dream when you can't stop thinking about it. I have had a few prophetic dreams but this one is a whopper.
My dream starts out and the world is compartmentalized. Like one giant row of adjoining rooms. There are people in every room just talking to each other or working in each of the rooms.
I am drawn to a room where a few people are looking at a map, or some kind of canvas that they have unrolled like a map, and the people are trying to decipher some kind of code that is written onto it. Finally, they decipher the code and tell me that it is imperative that I hurry and tell the others in the other compartments that we only have two minutes left until the end, and then it will be too late.
So, I rush out and I am trying to get peoples attention to tell them that they must accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior; they only have two minutes to accept the truth that Jesus died for their sins. I am yelling at the top of my voice begging people to listen to me, but they won't listen. They keep on working and talking and barely give me a glance.
The other people from the decoding room have gone to other rooms to tell people as well, but they too are getting little response from the people.
Gladly, a few people hear the message we are giving and they too, frantically, try to tell others in additional rooms.
I feel despair and hopelessness, because no one will listen to my warning.
God must be so crushed that we won't listen to his voice when he is calling us, drawing us to himself.
My dream starts out and the world is compartmentalized. Like one giant row of adjoining rooms. There are people in every room just talking to each other or working in each of the rooms.
I am drawn to a room where a few people are looking at a map, or some kind of canvas that they have unrolled like a map, and the people are trying to decipher some kind of code that is written onto it. Finally, they decipher the code and tell me that it is imperative that I hurry and tell the others in the other compartments that we only have two minutes left until the end, and then it will be too late.
So, I rush out and I am trying to get peoples attention to tell them that they must accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior; they only have two minutes to accept the truth that Jesus died for their sins. I am yelling at the top of my voice begging people to listen to me, but they won't listen. They keep on working and talking and barely give me a glance.
The other people from the decoding room have gone to other rooms to tell people as well, but they too are getting little response from the people.
Gladly, a few people hear the message we are giving and they too, frantically, try to tell others in additional rooms.
I feel despair and hopelessness, because no one will listen to my warning.
God must be so crushed that we won't listen to his voice when he is calling us, drawing us to himself.
The Minor Prophets
I just read the minor prophets again for the third time this year. I am struck by how many times that God says he is going to correct/punish various nations because they will not obey his commands and refuse to repent and turn back to God.
I have heard that God no longer punishes the nations; that the punishment was only in the old testament. But I keep reading the minor prophets and I see devestating natural disasters that have come upon contries in this last year and I have to question what I have been taught. It seems that God is still punishing nations in order to make them respond to him by repenting and turning back and putting their hope in Him again. My question is, is it working? Are their hearts too hard to listen and hear the cry of God to return to Him?
I pray for the people in the United States and all over the world. Please repent...head the discipline of God and obey His commands. Do not conform to this world but obey the commands of God.
I have heard that God no longer punishes the nations; that the punishment was only in the old testament. But I keep reading the minor prophets and I see devestating natural disasters that have come upon contries in this last year and I have to question what I have been taught. It seems that God is still punishing nations in order to make them respond to him by repenting and turning back and putting their hope in Him again. My question is, is it working? Are their hearts too hard to listen and hear the cry of God to return to Him?
I pray for the people in the United States and all over the world. Please repent...head the discipline of God and obey His commands. Do not conform to this world but obey the commands of God.
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