Focus

Turn off your cell phone, TV, or radio. Be aware of the silence that is around you. Listen for God to speak to you.

Read

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 (NRSV)

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim. They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark. David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the LORD with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.

…

So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. David danced before the LORD with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

They brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the LORD. When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts, and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.

Reflect

In the last 15-20 years, an explosion of reality talent competitions have hit our television screens. It is fun to debate who is the favorite, who has the best voice, and who never should have made it past the initial auditions.

For many people, the favorite parts of these talent shows come when producers spotlight those people who probably should be pursuing something other than singing or dancing, to be quite honest. Even though they might not have the most talent, they sing and dance their hearts out because they have a passion for it, because they are grateful for the opportunity to live out their dreams. To those contestants it doesn’t matter if they aren’t the best. It doesn’t matter what others think of them. It only matters that they absolutely love what they are doing.

David was praising God for the victory he had achieved. He was dancing, singing, shouting for joy because God had delivered the Philistines into his hands. He didn’t care that he might look foolish to some people in the audience, and we shouldn’t care either. We should be fighting at every opportunity to tell the world what God has done for us. We have so much for which to be thankful. We should joyously praise our God with every fiber of our being.

Pray

Holy God, David danced with joy and proclaimed your greatness to all who could hear him. May we boldly take every opportunity share your blessings. Grant us the strength to proclaim our faith without reservation. Amen.

Go with God.