I hope you dance!

It is my privilege to work with several good and generous people who give hours to the food pantry ministry of Faith Discovery Church. Yesterday, feeling silly, I did a little dance proclaiming “I have a song in my heart!”  One of my friends joked - “Well, it’s not in your feet!”  That is so very true.  I cannot find a nicely coordinated way to move in anything resembling an actual dance, but I wish I could. But, I ‘dance’ anyway, when I feel joyful. Many years ago I thought that a class might help me so I enrolled Bev and I in one that met an evening each week. The instructor did her best to convince me that the only thing standing between me and real dancing was self-consciousness. Bev had a great time. I never did master the steps! 

Do you dance? The question is not about your physical grace or rhythm.
The real issue is do you allow yourself to feel and express joy, giving genuine thanks to God for life and the blessings He gives?

It is so easy to see only the pain in life which is real, to take note of what is ‘not right,’ which is common in our broken world, and yet to miss the small graces that find us each day- a beautiful sunset, a child’s giggle, a friend’s encouragement, or a song that touches our soul.  In those moments, I hope you dance!  Let your soul be free before Him!

Others may not dance with you, nor may they even appreciate your joy in the Lord.  David, the shepherd king of Israel, was bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to the Tabernacle. It was the symbolic dwelling of God among His people and the event was celebrated with joy. Overcome with his emotions the king started to dance in the street. He was not just tapping his toe with the music. The Bible says "David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic." (2 Samuel 6:14, NLT)  Forgetting his position and his pride he was leaping, dancing, and shouting the praises of God. His wife found his enthusiasm embarrassing, disgusting evecn. "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." (2 Samuel 6:16, NIV)   

Coming to his palace, David expected she would share his joy. Instead, he found contempt poured over him like acid, as she spat the words - "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!"

Ah, friend, allow yourself to feel joy. Thank God for Who He is, for the blessings with which he has graced your life. Dance if you feel like it!  Many will not appreciate the joy, criticizing you for your joy in the Lord.  But, if we spend too much time looking around  for encouragement  we will cease to love God as we could. Instead of dancing for His applause we will become slaves of the opinions of others.

Oh, I am not making an excuse for selfish expressions to impress others or that become a distraction. Joy is not an excuse to ignore the needs of others by doing your own thing. In balance we remember that Jesus told us that our best expressions of love and prayer would be private. He pointed to the public piety of the Pharisees and sternly warned against making prayer and worship into a performance designed to impress others. Heaven falls silent when we start to dance for the crowd!  Never the less, when we are lost in His love, when we release ourselves to the Spirit of God: our songs, our choices, our prayers may well appear to be foolish, childish expressions. 

When the critics sneer, we remind ourselves that is God we serve and we ask, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10, NIV)  The blessings and approval of the Holy Spirit are enough. When David’s wife mocked his joyful worship that led to his dancing in the street, he told her: "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." (2 Samuel 6:20-22, NIV)

So- dance, cry, sing, serve, love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Remember - He is Lord of the exuberant dance as well as the quiet reverence.  I hope you dance!

Here is the word from the Word.

"You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!" (Psalm 30:11-12, NLT)

____________

(Video of this blog at this link)

House Of The Lord

 

We worship the God who was

We worship the God who is

We worship the God who evermore will be

He opened the prison doors

He parted the raging sea

My God He holds the victory yeah

 

There’s joy in the house of the Lord

There’s joy in the house of the Lord today

And we won’t be quiet

We shout out Your praise

There’s joy in the house of the Lord

Our God is surely in this place

And we won’t be quiet

We shout out Your praise

 

We sing to the God who heals

We sing to the God who saves

We sing to the God who always makes a way

'Cause He hung up on that cross

Then He rose up from that grave

My God’s still rolling stones away

 

('Cause) We were the beggars

Now we’re royalty

We were the prisoners

Now we’re running free

We are forgiven accepted

Redeemed by His grace

Let the house of the Lord sing praise

 

There is joy in this house oh yeah

There is joy there is joy

And we won't be quiet

We're gonna shout out Your praise

 

We shout out Your praise

There is joy in this house

There is joy in this house today

We shout out Your praise

We shout out Your praise

 

Jonathan Smith | Phil Wickham

© 2020 Be Essential Songs; Cashagamble Jet Music; Phil Wickham Music; Simply Global Songs

CCLI License # 810055