Grayscale

What’s interesting about this picture is that even though it was taken in full color, it appears to be grayscale. When something is just not there, it is not easy to write. I know this to be the case personally. This post was inspired by what the pastor closed yesterday’s sermon with and it’s something along these lines,

“It’s hard to dance if you just don’t hear the music.”

“Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with gladness. ¹³ And so it was, when those bearing the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, that he sacrificed oxen and fatted sheep. ¹⁴ Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶ Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. ¹⁷ So they brought the ark of the Lord, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ¹⁸ And when David had finished offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. ¹⁹ Then he distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israel, both the women and the men, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, everyone to his house.

²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. ²² And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.” ²³ Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.”

2 Samuel 6:12-23

Whenever a believer allows anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy, hatred, unforgiveness or any other negative feelings to linger in his/her life, the joy of the Lord becomes elusive. As we constantly grieve the Holy Spirit, our work for the kingdom becomes forced, or worse, halted. We eclipse talking about spiritual things with temporal which are not quite spiritually nourishing, plus we really can’t take them to the grave. It becomes hard to truly worship the Lord, and by this, I mean the genuine worship and overflow that is not attached with and generated by ulterior motives.

The truth is, the apostles who were greatly used by God even when they were walking with Jesus had competitive tendencies (Mark 9:33-35). Someone will always be better than you (and this happens to be the reality for everyone!) but guess what? There’s only one you in this world. That is something to rejoice about. Another thing is that God loves us ALL the same!

Whatever it is that you’re struggling with, give it to the Lord and do not allow the enemy to rob your peace and joy. When we truly have the Holy Spirit, He restores us when we do the necessary steps to cooperate with the work He is doing in us.

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Colossians 3:23-24