Praise dance

How do you celebrate the goodness of God in your life? Sometimes, we may not know what to say or do, but the psalmist David gives us a few hints. David was a man who lived life to the full. David was not the man to challenge over his commitment. He did not do “half-hearted”. When Saul informed David that the price for his daughter Michal’s hand in marriage was one hundred foreskins from the Philistines, David brought two hundred and handed them to Saul. Saul had no alternative but to start making the wedding preparations, although he hoped that David would die accomplishing the task he had set (1 Samuel 18: 24-26).  When the time came to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem, David was so overcome with joy that he leaped and danced before the Lord. David recorded his feelings at the time. “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. Oh Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever,” (Psalm 30: 11-12). David’s wife Michal was not impressed by this enthusiastic expression of joy; she felt that the king should be more dignified in front of his people. David told her that he was dancing because God had chosen him. The people of Judah had spent years mourning the fact that they were in exile and in captivity. However, the Lord promised to reverse their situation and turn it into joy. “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old, together. For I will turn their mourning to joy, will comfort them, and make them rejoice rather than sorrow,” (Jeremiah 31: 13). When David looked back to where he had been and realised once more how far the Lord had brought him, he just had to dance. David was happy to look foolish to other people as long as he knew that in the eyes of the Lord, he was doing well. Let people tell you that they cannot take you anywhere because you have no idea how to behave in public. They do not know your journey with the Lord, or that He has chosen you. Get your praise on.