Dear Church,
In continuation with yesterday’s message, I want to challenge us to reflect on the heart of our worship. In 2 Samuel 6:16, we encounter a powerful moment:
“As the ark of the Lord’s covenant 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.”
Here’s the picture: the Ark of the Covenant, the very symbol of God’s presence, was being returned to Jerusalem. Leading the procession was King David, not dressed in royal robes but clothed in simple garments, dancing and leaping with all his might before the Lord. His worship was raw, real, and completely unfiltered. The King wasn’t concerned with appearances, he was overwhelmed by thankfulness and Joy. Michal, David’s wife and the daughter of the former King Saul saw his worship and despised him in her heart. She missed the moment. She could have joined in, lifted her voice, and led the people in a royal celebration of God’s faithfulness. But instead, she chose pride over praise.
Sometimes we face the same choice. Do we worship with reckless passion like David? (Now when I say “worship,” I don’t just mean Sunday morning music—I’m talking about our everyday response to God.) Or do we stand at the window like Michal, concerned about appearances, managing our image, and judging those who let go?
God delights in heartfelt, expressive adoration. Scripture affirms this again and again:
- Psalm 149:3 – “Let them praise His name with dancing and make music to Him with timbrel and harp.”
- Psalm 95:1–2 – “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”
As we heard yesterday from the story of Abraham, worship is about surrender. It’s about getting real before God, even if it means looking foolish to others.
Let’s choose authentic worship. Let’s dance, sing, shout, or kneel whatever it looks like for you. Let’s hold nothing back. Let’s commit to giving God our whole heart.
Be encouraged,
Mathews
