I'm Dancin': Part Three
Walk into any Barnes and Noble and you’ll find a barrage of self-help books for every kind of trial, from the loss of a loved one to hips that are just a bit too wide! Unfortunately, although I love to read and collect books, I must admit that this particular section is one of the most distasteful to me. In short, it is simply the words of man, attempting to guide others he or she has invested little personal interest in.
It is a section that preys on the weak and hurting, without offering them the Words of Life. Being in ministry, as well as being a minister’s daughter for many years, I’ve encountered many people and many situations. Every person faces personal storms, and it seems that most people perpetually seek a ‘formula’ for restoration, for peace, and for happiness.
Ultimately, that peace and joy can only be found in submission to God through tapping into the Holy Ghost.
But just how, when we’ve done everything we know to do and still hurt, can we get into that presence that will resolve our fears and restore our faith again?
As I mentioned at the beginning of this study, my inspiration for this message came from the song, “I Will Dance Like David Danced.” Dancing, however, is one of the toughest things to do when one is hurting.
Just how do we get into the presence of the Lord? Just how can we spiritually ‘dance in the rain?’ Perhaps it is time we took a lesson from King David.
King David: A Legacy of Dancing In The Rain
I find it most interesting that the only time we find David dancing for all to view is when the Ark of the Covenant is restored to its rightful place. The parallels for us today are unmistakable.
#1 To dance in your storm, your first move is to restore God to his rightful place in your life. Although most of us would never dream of consciously putting God on the backburner, He seems to fade into the shadows as the cares of life take center stage.
When we lose our job… We turn to friends, employment agencies, and government backup for answers rather than the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
When we lose a loved one… We turn to counselors, journaling, or family for support in our time of grief rather than consulting the heart mender.
When finances go awry… We look to self-help books, credit counseling agencies, or even bankruptcy courts rather than asking the one who agreed to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.
And when we grow ill or elderly… We seek doctors, herbs, vitamins, medications, and procedures rather than consulting the one by whose stripes we have healing!
We must once again realize that He alone has the solution for what ails us. He should be our first resort rather than the last.
#2 Consider the nature of David’s dance. He did not present himself before God in all his costly array, his crown, or any insignia that denoted his kingly position. Instead, he took off his kingly garments.
He released himself from his identity and all pretense. He emptied himself of…self importance, pride, and any pretense of personal accomplishment before the majesty of God, knowing well that all he had become was due to God alone!
We must empty ourselves before God. So many times, I’ve known saints to say something akin to ‘Well, I’ve done this and this for God so He’s got to answer this prayer.’ But when we consider how meager we are in relation to how great He is….and when we consider how trifling our sacrifices have been in relation to His on Calvary….how can we compare?
It is best to forget ourselves in His presence! As the Earnest Pugh song says, ‘Less of me and more of you is what I need.’
The scripture refers to David dancing naked before God. While this does not indicate lewdness or physical nakedness, it does denote a removal of the garments that defined him. He let nothing stand between him and God.
We, likewise, must stand naked before God. Forget trying to make yourself sound holy, righteous, or deserving of his grace….we never will be! Simply come to Him in honesty, bearing your spiritual self to him!
The Israelites under Jehoshaphat did this as well. 2 Chronicles 20:13 says that “all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” Notice, they brought every bit of their family before him, revealing the strongest to the weakest. All stood before him in their fragility, saying ‘God, this is all we have to offer; we need you to make up the difference.’
Some of us would have only wanted to show God our mighty men of valor to prove that we’re a strong Christian, but the Israelites had already come face-to-face with the fact that they were no match for their enemy.
They humbly showed their hand. ‘Lord, I don’t have a mighty son who can fight in your army. Instead, I have two infant daughters who will suffer if we are overtaken.’
With such honesty and with the praise that followed, God fought their battle for them!
Just what happens when we are able to overcome self and even our own selfish desire to wallow in self-pity? God is able to make our way perfect and we are able—even if we can’t discern the reasoning behind some aspects of our lives—to see God’s perfection being worked in our lives.
In 2 Samuel 22:33, we find David proclaiming, “God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.” Again, in his psalms, he sings, “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect” (Ps. 18:32).
How could such perfection be? Aside from the hardships David brought upon himself, such as the death of his son with Bathsheeba and his rebuke for killing another man and taking his wife, he endured some things that seemed quite imperfect:
• His flocks were attacked by a lion and a bear when he was young – but in the perfect plan, he learned that when he took on a foe, God would back him! Later, even when his own son Absalom turned against him, he faithfully served God, knowing that God could work it out.
• He was the youngest son of Jesse and even his own father overlooked him when the prophet Samuel came seeking a king. His father obviously did not have enough confidence in him due to his age or he favored his older sons. But that humility made him a man after God’s own heart.
• Saul chased him all over the countryside – but in the perfect plan, David learned the layout of the lands of his enemies that he would someday battle and it gave him an edge!
Consider Peter in the fishing boat. He faced a storm that threatened to capsize the boat. Consider the waves, the feelings of desperation as the disciples realized there was no hope of reaching shore. Think about the fear they must have endured, believing that death was imminent. In fact, they must have thought they were too far from Jesus to get his help.
They must have thought inwardly, ‘Oh no, we left our Savior behind on the shore. There is no hope!’ They may have flashed back to their mothers or family members, fearing they would never see them again.
It was a desperate situation without an obvious means of escape. They couldn’t call in the coast guard to rescue them on the wireless radio. There wasn’t one! But in the midst of that storm, Peter saw a figure looming against the horizon…
Was it a ghost? A phantom? The grim reaper coming to claim them? What a dark time! Why would God want his disciples to face such a horrifying, life-threatening experience?
But look how it made Peter’s way perfect! Through faith, he stepped out of the boat and instead of simply seeing Jesus as a mighty healer, a great teacher, or a good friend, he got to know him as the sea walker! Peter’s ministry was impacted from that moment on. In death, he died (according to church history) like his Savior by crucifixion.
Scripture appears to agree with historical accounts in John 13:36, “Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.”
I’m sure dancing was not an option as Peter hung on a cross, but in his heart, he knew whom he had served and his power.
I don’t mean to say that dancing in your trial is easy. Certainly, it is difficult but that is when we must learn to lean on God’s presence. Pray through to the Holy Ghost and trust God!
Just how can we trust God to understand our sufferings? Because He’s been there!
“Jesus Wept.”
Indeed, this scripture is one of the biggest jokes in Sunday Schools the world over. Many are the kids who memorize this scripture because it is the shortest to be found! But in our jest, I wonder if we’ve lost the gravity of the statement….
Consider it: Jesus wept.
He didn’t tear up or whimper a bit. He wept.
To weep is to “express grief, sorrow, or any overpowering emotion by shedding tears.” Grief is “keen mental anguish or suffering or distress over affliction or loss, sharp sorrow,” and “painful regret.” Sorrow is synonymous with “distress” or “excruciating emotional anguish.”
This was no mere graceful trickle falling down his cheek; it meant heart-rending sobs with his face in his hands. He wept several times: once over the loss of his friend, Lazarus, and once over Jerusalem, a lost city without faith in the one who could save Him.
Remember the image of Him sobbing when you begin to feel that no one cares for your situation. Isaiah described him as being “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed…He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth” (Is. 53:3-7).
We often preach about Jesus taking our sins upon himself and we are taught to let go of those sins through repentance and baptism. But Jesus also took every one of our sorrows, our disappointments, and our hard times on his shoulders. What will it take for us to lay our concerns and the obstacles we face in his hands and trust His perfect will?
He died to take them away as well!
Indeed, as Isaiah 61:3 records, he came to give us “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”
As Psalm 48:1-2 says, truly “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised” for He is “beautiful for situation.”
And as King David so eloquently wrote, He will make your way perfect…even in the storm!
It is a section that preys on the weak and hurting, without offering them the Words of Life. Being in ministry, as well as being a minister’s daughter for many years, I’ve encountered many people and many situations. Every person faces personal storms, and it seems that most people perpetually seek a ‘formula’ for restoration, for peace, and for happiness.
Ultimately, that peace and joy can only be found in submission to God through tapping into the Holy Ghost.
But just how, when we’ve done everything we know to do and still hurt, can we get into that presence that will resolve our fears and restore our faith again?
As I mentioned at the beginning of this study, my inspiration for this message came from the song, “I Will Dance Like David Danced.” Dancing, however, is one of the toughest things to do when one is hurting.
Just how do we get into the presence of the Lord? Just how can we spiritually ‘dance in the rain?’ Perhaps it is time we took a lesson from King David.
King David: A Legacy of Dancing In The Rain
I find it most interesting that the only time we find David dancing for all to view is when the Ark of the Covenant is restored to its rightful place. The parallels for us today are unmistakable.
#1 To dance in your storm, your first move is to restore God to his rightful place in your life. Although most of us would never dream of consciously putting God on the backburner, He seems to fade into the shadows as the cares of life take center stage.
When we lose our job… We turn to friends, employment agencies, and government backup for answers rather than the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.
When we lose a loved one… We turn to counselors, journaling, or family for support in our time of grief rather than consulting the heart mender.
When finances go awry… We look to self-help books, credit counseling agencies, or even bankruptcy courts rather than asking the one who agreed to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.
And when we grow ill or elderly… We seek doctors, herbs, vitamins, medications, and procedures rather than consulting the one by whose stripes we have healing!
We must once again realize that He alone has the solution for what ails us. He should be our first resort rather than the last.
#2 Consider the nature of David’s dance. He did not present himself before God in all his costly array, his crown, or any insignia that denoted his kingly position. Instead, he took off his kingly garments.
He released himself from his identity and all pretense. He emptied himself of…self importance, pride, and any pretense of personal accomplishment before the majesty of God, knowing well that all he had become was due to God alone!
We must empty ourselves before God. So many times, I’ve known saints to say something akin to ‘Well, I’ve done this and this for God so He’s got to answer this prayer.’ But when we consider how meager we are in relation to how great He is….and when we consider how trifling our sacrifices have been in relation to His on Calvary….how can we compare?
It is best to forget ourselves in His presence! As the Earnest Pugh song says, ‘Less of me and more of you is what I need.’
The scripture refers to David dancing naked before God. While this does not indicate lewdness or physical nakedness, it does denote a removal of the garments that defined him. He let nothing stand between him and God.
We, likewise, must stand naked before God. Forget trying to make yourself sound holy, righteous, or deserving of his grace….we never will be! Simply come to Him in honesty, bearing your spiritual self to him!
The Israelites under Jehoshaphat did this as well. 2 Chronicles 20:13 says that “all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.” Notice, they brought every bit of their family before him, revealing the strongest to the weakest. All stood before him in their fragility, saying ‘God, this is all we have to offer; we need you to make up the difference.’
Some of us would have only wanted to show God our mighty men of valor to prove that we’re a strong Christian, but the Israelites had already come face-to-face with the fact that they were no match for their enemy.
They humbly showed their hand. ‘Lord, I don’t have a mighty son who can fight in your army. Instead, I have two infant daughters who will suffer if we are overtaken.’
With such honesty and with the praise that followed, God fought their battle for them!
Just what happens when we are able to overcome self and even our own selfish desire to wallow in self-pity? God is able to make our way perfect and we are able—even if we can’t discern the reasoning behind some aspects of our lives—to see God’s perfection being worked in our lives.
In 2 Samuel 22:33, we find David proclaiming, “God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.” Again, in his psalms, he sings, “It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect” (Ps. 18:32).
How could such perfection be? Aside from the hardships David brought upon himself, such as the death of his son with Bathsheeba and his rebuke for killing another man and taking his wife, he endured some things that seemed quite imperfect:
• His flocks were attacked by a lion and a bear when he was young – but in the perfect plan, he learned that when he took on a foe, God would back him! Later, even when his own son Absalom turned against him, he faithfully served God, knowing that God could work it out.
• He was the youngest son of Jesse and even his own father overlooked him when the prophet Samuel came seeking a king. His father obviously did not have enough confidence in him due to his age or he favored his older sons. But that humility made him a man after God’s own heart.
• Saul chased him all over the countryside – but in the perfect plan, David learned the layout of the lands of his enemies that he would someday battle and it gave him an edge!
Consider Peter in the fishing boat. He faced a storm that threatened to capsize the boat. Consider the waves, the feelings of desperation as the disciples realized there was no hope of reaching shore. Think about the fear they must have endured, believing that death was imminent. In fact, they must have thought they were too far from Jesus to get his help.
They must have thought inwardly, ‘Oh no, we left our Savior behind on the shore. There is no hope!’ They may have flashed back to their mothers or family members, fearing they would never see them again.
It was a desperate situation without an obvious means of escape. They couldn’t call in the coast guard to rescue them on the wireless radio. There wasn’t one! But in the midst of that storm, Peter saw a figure looming against the horizon…
Was it a ghost? A phantom? The grim reaper coming to claim them? What a dark time! Why would God want his disciples to face such a horrifying, life-threatening experience?
But look how it made Peter’s way perfect! Through faith, he stepped out of the boat and instead of simply seeing Jesus as a mighty healer, a great teacher, or a good friend, he got to know him as the sea walker! Peter’s ministry was impacted from that moment on. In death, he died (according to church history) like his Savior by crucifixion.
Scripture appears to agree with historical accounts in John 13:36, “Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.”
I’m sure dancing was not an option as Peter hung on a cross, but in his heart, he knew whom he had served and his power.
I don’t mean to say that dancing in your trial is easy. Certainly, it is difficult but that is when we must learn to lean on God’s presence. Pray through to the Holy Ghost and trust God!
Just how can we trust God to understand our sufferings? Because He’s been there!
“Jesus Wept.”
Indeed, this scripture is one of the biggest jokes in Sunday Schools the world over. Many are the kids who memorize this scripture because it is the shortest to be found! But in our jest, I wonder if we’ve lost the gravity of the statement….
Consider it: Jesus wept.
He didn’t tear up or whimper a bit. He wept.
To weep is to “express grief, sorrow, or any overpowering emotion by shedding tears.” Grief is “keen mental anguish or suffering or distress over affliction or loss, sharp sorrow,” and “painful regret.” Sorrow is synonymous with “distress” or “excruciating emotional anguish.”
This was no mere graceful trickle falling down his cheek; it meant heart-rending sobs with his face in his hands. He wept several times: once over the loss of his friend, Lazarus, and once over Jerusalem, a lost city without faith in the one who could save Him.
Remember the image of Him sobbing when you begin to feel that no one cares for your situation. Isaiah described him as being “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed…He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth” (Is. 53:3-7).
We often preach about Jesus taking our sins upon himself and we are taught to let go of those sins through repentance and baptism. But Jesus also took every one of our sorrows, our disappointments, and our hard times on his shoulders. What will it take for us to lay our concerns and the obstacles we face in his hands and trust His perfect will?
He died to take them away as well!
Indeed, as Isaiah 61:3 records, he came to give us “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”
As Psalm 48:1-2 says, truly “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised” for He is “beautiful for situation.”
And as King David so eloquently wrote, He will make your way perfect…even in the storm!
