All your might
“And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment” 2 Samuel 6:14
A little context for this verse. The Israelites have recaptured the Ark of the Covenant which had been lost in battle. After many years it has finally been returned to Jerusalem where it belonged. It was a joyous occasion with lots of worship and sacrifices to the LORD. And David the king got so caught up in the joy of worship that he danced before the Lord with all his might. His wife wasn’t too happy. She thought it was undignified for a king to be dancing like a commoner in front of his people, including the servant girls. But David justified himself, saying “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!” (2 Samuel 6:21-22)
It raises some questions for us. Firstly will we be like David, giving all our might to God? So often we hold back. We give our leftovers to God. We put our spare change in the offering plate. We help out at church if we have spare time. We fit in a quick quiet time in the morning before we get on with the rest of our day. In the evening in our “me time” our focus is on the TV or checking Facebook. Imagine if we put as much time into advancing the kingdom as we do into checking social media networks. Imagine the impact if we gave God all our might rather than just what was easy and convenient for us.
Secondly, will we refuse to care what others think of us as we serve God? David could have listened to his wife and decided he needed to tone it down and not publically display the joy he felt. He could have hidden the passion that God had given him so that his wife wouldn’t get embarrassed. But he decided he cared more about glorifying God than what people thought about him. We need to choose likewise. We need to choose to not worry about looking foolish for the sake of the Lord. Put your all into worship God for all he has done.
Through the cross our sins have been forgiven and our shame is gone. We have been freed. We have a reason to celebrate. We have something to shout about. Sing with all your might. Dance with all your might. Praise with all your might. Give God your all. Don’t hold back from honouring Him. Don’t withhold your best from Him. He is worthy of our all. Regardless of what others may think of you, give your all for God today.