 Praise God! 2003 : Week 7 The Christian life should be the most joy filled life of all. Our relationship with God should fill the deepest longings of our heart, soul and mind. People should see and feel something different when they are near us. Flowing through us, they should feel God’s infinite love that our finite bodies cannot contain. Daily we will be tested and tried, but we should look through our trials into the eternity that lies beyond them. There, forever, fellowship with God awaits us. What could be more valuable? If you believe this, you will be able to face the hardest times of your life with nobility that will stun those who see you. In good times, you will be unable to contain your joy. King David’s joy stemmed from his relationship with God. He realized that God loved him, cared for him and had a plan for his life. This knowledge humbled David, and made him express his gratitude to the Lord. Further, David expressed his gratitude without shame. He was not meek with it. His love for God was central to who David was, and it was on public display as he danced. What a sight it must have been, all of Jerusalem was out to greet the return of the ark: a massive outdoor praise celebration for the Lord. The music played, the people sang, and David was the leader of the celebration. What a testimony he was: By praising God openly, David was submitting to the King of the universe; he was showing everyone he was another servant of God. We could all learn from his example; we should all be so humble. Perhaps David’s humility is one of the reasons the Lord called him a, “…man after His own heart…” (1 Samuel 13:14) What an incredible thing for the Lord to say about someone. Oh how precious, if the Lord were to say that of us! Perhaps, it’s about perspective. Many things excite us: our favorite teams, girlfriends, boyfriends, our new car and even a good meal. We tell everyone about these things: we put up posters of our favorite teams, we wear their jerseys and we defend them proudly if someone makes fun of them. Do we display the same outward passion for our God? Does the world know we love God? Do our churches show our love for God? Our churches should be filled with excitement and joy. We have the greatest gift of all: a relationship with the God who has given us eternal life. We should celebrate this relationship and lift Him up in thanks. People should want to come for the fellowship, the message of the Gospel and the excitement of being loved by God. Our worship should take many forms, and all of them should be respectful before God. We don’t need alcohol. We don’t need drugs. We don’t need cheap thrills or passing trends. Our joy is internal and eternal, and it blows those cheap distractions away. God provides it, and it is unchanging. All the time, sometime, anytime, don’t you want to stand up and sing “Amazing Grace,” “King of Glory,” “How Firm A Foundation,” “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty” or “God of Wonders” with every fiber of your being? The next time you wonder if you should raise your hands to heaven or sing aloud, think about King David. Remember what God said of this man. Remember that David praised God in front of an entire kingdom. With everything he had, David celebrated God. Now tell me again, why you can’t sing aloud to God? Praise God people. Praise Him at home. Praise him at church. Praise Him at work. Praise Him alone. Praise Him with many. Praise Him in darkness. Praise Him in light. Praise Him because He is worthy. Praise Him for your salvation. Praise Him because He said it’s the right thing to do. Scripture is clear my brothers and sisters; we should be praising God:
4 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. 5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout joyfully before the King, the Lord. Psalm 98:3-6 Archives | Tell Your Friends | Submit a Devotion |
 2 Samuel 6:14-16 14 And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of trumpet. 16 Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; • Read Chapter |
