I Choose Life

"David again assembled all the fit young men in Israel, thirty thousand. He and all his troops set out to bring the ark of God from Baale-Judah. The ark bears the Name, the name of the Lord of Armies who is enthroned between the cherubim...David and the whole house of Israel were dancing before the LORD with all kinds of fir wood instruments, lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals. When they came to Nacon's threshing floor, Uzzah reached out to the ark of God and took hold of it because the oxen had stumbled. Then the LORD's anger burned against Uzzah, and God struck him dead on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there next to the ark of God. David was angry because of the LORD's outburst against Uzzah, so he named that place Outburst Against Uzzah. David feared the LORD that day and said, 'How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?' So he was not willing to bring the ark of the LORD to the city of David; instead, he diverted it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath." - 2 Samuel 6:1-2,5-10

Oh how familiar this seems. One moment I'm thrilled and joyous before God and the next I've shut down from Him. Something happened that didn't seem right. The feelings of "That's not fair" and "It wasn't supposed to happen like this" come to mind.

Yet whose plan, judgment, and understanding am I relying on? I've had so many thoughts and feelings reading that set of verses. They stem from assumptions and using my imagination to fill in the blanks. I simply can't know the whole story.


"The ark of the LORD remained in the house three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and his whole family. It was reported to King David, 'The LORD has blessed Obed-edom's family and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God.' So David went and had the ark of God brought up from Obed-edom's house to the city of David with rejoicing...David was dancing with all his might before the LORD wearing a linen ephod." - 2 Samuel 6:11-12,14

What I do know is Jesus. Who came to earth freeing us from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and making a relationship with Him at the Tree of Life available again. He wants us to be in His presence and be blessed by Him.

"As the ark of the LORD was entering the city of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked down from the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart...When David returned home to bless his household, Saul's daughter Michal came out to meet him. 'How the king of Israel honored himself today!' she said. 'He exposed himself today in the sight of the slave girls of his subjects like a vulgar person would expose himself.'
David replied to Michal, 'I will dance before the LORD, and I will dishonor myself and humble myself even more.'" - 2 Samuel 6:16,20-22

When we choose to live in His presence, it changes us. We become humbled, not relying on our thoughts or worried about what others think. We choose to see Him elevated as King of our lives, may He get all the honor and glory.

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