I have often wandered if there is an “eleventh commandment”, saying, “You shall not rejoice, nor will you be joyful in church”.
When King David brought the Ark of God back to Jerusalem , he and the whole of Israel danced with all their might before the people of Israel . It says in 2 Samuel 6:5 (NIV), “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”.
That brings back sweet memories of singing this old gospel song, taken from Psalm 150:
Praise Him on the trumpet, the psaltery, and harp, Praise Him with the timbrel and the dance.
Praise Him with stringed instruments too;
Praise Him on the loud cymbals; praise Him on the loud cymbals,
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord,
Hallelujah praise the Lord, Hallelujah praise the Lord,
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
However, when King David danced with all his might before the Lord, some wanted to criticise. Is that not also the case today? Isn’t it true that when we dance before the Lord with all our might and celebrate Jesus, some frown upon us?
This was David’s reply in 2 Samuel 6:21-22, “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’”.
The Bible says in Psalm 103:2 (AMP), “Bless affectionately, gratefully praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not one of all His benefits”. Sometimes my joy for Jesus just overflows. How can I keep it in when He has done so much for me?
I love to sing to the Lord, and give him extravagant praise and worship. I will lift my hands in sweet surrender to Him, I will fall down on my knees in worship and praise, I will lie prostrate before my King and worship him in humility. I will sing, before my God, of all His wonders, for my God is an awesome God.
My friend, when your heart and soul longs to worship Jesus, then let that extravagant praise rise up to God. When you are in the midst of your church family, you should feel the freedom to worship God with all your might like King David, who said to those who felt embarrassed at his freedom of expression in his worship to God, “I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this”. I worship before Him because I have something to sing about, so my lips will not be quiet, nor will my heart cease from pouring out to my God my praise and worship unto Him, for He has done great things for me.
Many years ago, the people of God would sing such songs as:
Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven; to His feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, evermore His praises sing:
Praise Him, praise Him, Praise the everlasting King.
Now we have so many songs to sing about Jesus. Lord free us in our praise, let us worship you in spirit and in truth, let us praise you with extravagant worship, let dance before you, celebrating with joy, let us not hold back from you our praise because of what someone, somewhere might think of us. Let us celebrate before you in the beauty of Holiness and with joy in the Holy Spirit.
God bless you my friend, Matthew.
