Did You Know...

Did you know that God is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow?

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

So when I read in my Bible that David danced before the Lord, and Miriam danced before the Lord, and the Lord was pleased with the dancing, that leads me to believe that we have a God who actually enjoys seeing people dance before him.

"David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets." 2 Samuel 6:14-15

And there was shouting! Can you believe it! Shouting and dancing before the presence of God.

"Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. ²¹ Miriam sang to them:
"Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea." Exodus 15:20-22

As I read both of those experiences, with singing and shouting and dancing, I can't help but think about what a joyous occasion both of those must have been! Imagine those parties! Imagine being so filled with the joy of the Lord that you can't help it- you have to let it out, and sometimes it comes out in the form of a shout, and sometimes it comes out in the form of a dance. Dancing is such a wonderful and joyous way to praise the Lord, and it seems to me to be such a shame that more people don't just do it.

My heart is dancing this morning. I went to bed singing this song last night, and I woke up singing it this morning. It's a new one we've been doing with our worship team, and it appears to be an instant crowd favorite, as it is infectious. Once you start singing about how much you love God, you just can't help it! Your feet start moving, and before you know it you're jumping up and down, dancing and praising God with everything you've got. I have to admit, I've been so focused lately about the struggles that we've been going through that I've kind of let my daily praise slide. While I'm confident that God is going to get us through these troubles in an awesome way, I've been wrapped up in praying for that. And while I've been so focused on doing that, I've missed the important part. I've missed the part where I praise God in all situations. I praise Him when I'm happy, and I praise Him when I'm sad. I praise Him no matter what the situation, because He is worthy of ALL praise.

So today, I dance. Today I dance, and I let the joy of the Lord fill me from top to the bottom, because no matter what, I WILL praise the Lord!

" ¹ Praise the LORD.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.

² Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.

³ Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,

⁴ praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,

⁵ praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD." Psalm 150