King David – 2 Samuel 5:1 – 7:29
David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.
What a sight this must have been. Try as I might, I can’t really imagine what it must have been like for the entire nation to be “celebrating with all their might.”
I know that we’re shaped by our own culture, upbringing, and church tradition – much of which constrains us to be more dignified and reserved in our worship. At the same time, I’m wondering how often we worship and celebrate “with all our might.” It would be interesting to be able to compare our worship services with the celebration described in today’s reading.
We easily give mental assent to the idea that God is worthy of our undivided attention. We know that our response to His grace in our lives ought to be our total, unyielding devotion to Him. And yet, we often find ourselves distracted and inattentive, or overcome with concern about what others might think.
May our head-knowledge permeate our heart… and may we truly understand what it means to celebrate with all our might. Let the words of this song not simply be empty words, but a true description of how we celebrate the presence of God in our midst.
I will worship You with all of my mind.
I will worship You with all of my strength.
For You are my Lord.