Today’s Devotion
Topic: The Diplomacy That Inhibits Total Praise
Text: 2 Samuel 6: 21b- 22a.
I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this. Amen.
David’s attempt to move the ark of the Lord from the house of Abinadab to a new tent he had prepared for it was mysteriously a complete failure. The king had made a new cart for it. The sons of Abinadab; Uzzah and Ahio, guided the new cart with the ark on it. Ahio however was walking in front of it while David and the whole house of Israel celebrated with all their might before the Lord with songs and with harps, lyres and cymbals.
When they got to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord struck him down due to his irreverent act. He died there beside the ark. David got both angry and afraid. He took the ark to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. There it remained for three months. And the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and his entire household. When David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God,” He decided to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David WITH REJOICING.
Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. Afterwards he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. And all the people went to their homes.
When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 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 honour.”_
Beloved, the ark of the Lord represents the presence of God. Uzzah was supposed to guide the cart which carried the ark and not to touch the ark. But instinctively and diplomatically he reached out for it when the oxen stumbled and got struck down. David was not taking chances this second time. He praised with all his might BEFORE THE LORD, the entire house of Israel with him, to the despise of his dear wife who could have been a part of this procession anyway.
She was more concerned about diplomacy and dignity than praising God for all He is and has done. When she tried to convince David that his dance was quite a distasteful one, especially in the full glare of all Israel, David reminded her it was a celebration BEFORE THE LORD who had done him the most undeserved good by raising a simple shepherd boy to kingship.
You see, not everyone can understand your praise. That is why you must offer it as unto God; the very ONE who deserves it and understands why. It must be sincere and decent, as one that is offered BEFORE THE LORD, for THE LORD. Not one that is inhibited by diplomacy and irreverent acts because of what the people might think of you. God inhabits the praise of His people.
Therefore, break free at church today. Praise and dance before the Lord with all your might until your heart is filled with His presence. Then you get ready for the overflowing blessings that are to follow up shortly. Three months will be too long before others see and testify that the Lord is blessing you and your entire household. God honours those who honour Him. See you at church. HAPPY PALM SUNDAY
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