BIBLE IN A YEAR: 2 Kgs 15-17
CONSCIOUSNESS IN WORSHIP
MEMORIZE: "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker" (Psalms 95:6)
READ: 2 Samuel 6:16-23
When the ark of the Lord was being returned to the City of David, David sang and out-danced all the others (2 Samuel 6:13-23). God is concerned about your focus and consciousness during praise and worship. While Michal expected King David to be self-conscious, and to carry himself with dignity before his subjects, the king on the contrary was God-focussed. He blanked out on those with him, but was conscious of dancing in the presence of God. Self or people consciousness are robbers of God’s glory during worship. Who you focus on during worship determines where your blessings come from. If you focus on the congregation and decide not to ‘debase’ yourself in their eyes, they would provide the reward for that worship. They would say, ‘You danced gracefully and in a dignified manner. You are indeed a person of honor’. Once you get that from men, God has nothing for you!
“And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight: and of the maidservants which thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be had in honor”(2 Samuel 6:22). David’s response teaches us another lesson. He decided to explore the extreme of humble praise and worship. He told Michal, ‘Are you displeased that I have humbled myself before God in dancing? You have not seen anything yet. Prepare for the worst!’ That should be your response to critics of humble praise. You can either praise God in humility or pride. God keeps a distance from proud worshippers, because they want to rub shoulders with Him, when they are nothing. David realized that the more he-as king of the nation, relegates his reputation and honor before God, the higher God will lift him. Every proud worshipper has pegged his promotion. Some people look down on those who come with their expensive dresses to roll before God’s altar. They are brothers and sisters of Michal!
If the leaders can humbly worship God and lose all sense of honor in God’s presence, it will earn them greater respect even before those they are leading. Any leader who can humbly worship God will be worshiped by everything God has created. Many say, they want to worship God yet they stand straight, arms folded, mouth closed. You do not worship God from the top, but from the bottom, hence men fall at the feet of Jesus to worship Him. If your clothes are too decent to touch the ground in worship, you have not started. How are you worshipping God today? True worship is telling God you are nothing in words, attitude, posture and position, while He is everything. Proud worshippers like Michal get a curse instead of a blessing from God’s presence.
ACTIONPOINT:If you are not prepared to humble yourself in worship, withhold your worship or else you could leave God's presence cursed.
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