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. 2 Samuel 6:14-16
Do you hold back when worshiping the Lord in public (i.e. at church)? I do.
My husband spoke in our worship service this week. He talked about David dancing before the Lord, wearing a linen ephod as the ark of the covenant As the ark of the Lord was entering the city.
What is an ephod you might ask? Well I didn't really know so let me fill you in;
ephod (noun)
a richly embroidered, apronlike vestment having two shoulder straps and ornamental attachments for securing the breastplate, worn with a waistband by the high priest. Ex. 28:6, 7, 25–28.(Dictionary.com)
So king David removed his royal clothes and dawned the garments of a high priest. He put on the costume of a servant of God.
When we worship we need to humble ourselves before the Lord. We need to remember that this is for Him and not for ourselves. We need to leave behind our royal (selfish) attitudes.
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, disrobing in the sight 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 honor." 2 Samuel 6:20-22
Oh how I want to worship with abandon. To pour out my love for God and express my joy at being His.
Truthfully I look around and think who is watching me? As I lift my arms I wonder do I have sweat stains in my pits? I need to throw off my fear of human opinion and become undignified.
I hope you will join me in making worshiping our Lord and King an honoring and praising time with Jesus and not a parade of how composed we can be.
Now it's your turn. Link up below with your motivational and inspiration posts.
9 comments:
AWesome. I love to worship and praise Him.
Oh, I want to worship with abandon too....all my young life, I was raised in an environment where you didn't raise your hands or anything like that, and now we go to a church where it's the norm, and I so want to every Sunday, but I just haven't had the guts to do it yet....I don't want it to look like a show, yet I want to "worship with abandon." I'm getting there, I truly am.:) As someone told me this weekend, though, it's not about me, it's about God. Worship is about God all the way....a song we sang yesterday just reinforced that, "Heart of Worship." Love this post....thank you!
I know I hold back... what a great post to say hold nothing back... show your joy to the Lord.
You challenge me ... and this is what I needed to read today. So often, because I'm on the worship team, my corporate time of worship becomes more focused on hitting the right notes, etc., than on the One I worship ... thanks for this reminder that it's not about me ... it's ALL HIM!
I recently joined the praise and worship team at my church and it has been a challenge for me to not care about what others think. They actually are looking at me...and whatever I do it needs to be genuine. Great post!
What a great post Sarah. I have only felt free enough to worship with abandon a few times. Not sure why I'm so "uptight" in worship, but nonetheless I am. The one time that sticks out in my mind the most was at the Casting Crowns concert at the State Fair in Raleigh, NC a few years ago. The place was FULL of the HS and you couldn't help but worship with abandon. The fact I didn't know anyone except my sister and her friend helped I'm sure.
Do you think it's fear, or pride, or what that holds us back?
Blessings on you today. Hope all is well.
This is a challenging post for me, Sarah. It is not my nature to worship while raising my hands or other things such as that. I think it is hard for me to just let go and be "undignified" in my worship. I want my children to feel free to worship in the way they feel the Lord moving them to. My 5 year old clapped through a song during church when no one else was recently. I didn't stop him and it was touching to see how he could have cared less what anyone else was doing. He felt that clapping was the best way to worship and he went for it. I want to be like that. Thank you for thoughts on this subject. It is something I need to pray about.
I had never done anything more 'physical' in worship than wave my hands or dance around a little on the spot. Then a few years ago the Lord showed me that He wanted me to "flag" during worship. He reminded me of some fabric that I had in my 'tickle trunk'..a perfect royal blue sheer..and then a blood red..and then another huge piece of royal blue. No one in my church at the time was flagging or dancing. Because I knew the Lord had asked me to do it, I went boldly to the front of my very large church (the only available spot), and began dancing and flagging with abandon to the worship music. I was challenged many times by the Holy Spirit to keep my motive and attitude pure, frequently needing to reject the spirit of pride and self-consciousness, and asking HS to use my worship to draw others into true worship of Him. And that is what He did...a number of people told me that it was a blessing to them. I have continued to dance and flag, though in my new church I feel led to do it at the back, where there is lots of room for movement as the Spirit leads. When visiting another church, I have a VERY hard time standing still to worship! I truly believe that when we abandon the fear of man (which really is pride) and give ourselves totally to the Lord in worship dance, we are blessed and so is He.
Hope sincerely that you can learn to be free, Sarah! Maybe we should "practice" together!
love, Sheilah
Wonderful Post! It is so true, we really need to worship with everything we have. Not hold back for the earthly flesh.
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