Strength and Joy in His Dwelling Place
The way I see it, we have one of two options in this space and time of world chaos and confusion. I, like the rest of the world “feel” the temptations to look at all that surrounds me and think the thoughts of “What in the world is happening?" or "What’s going to happen?" If I'm being completely honest, it wouldn’t take long to stir myself up into a place of hysteria, fearfulness and anxiety, as well as anger and frustration.
I could choose to sit in the despair, hopelessness and the darkness of the moment, listening to the thousands of voices that are all clamoring to be heard in this hour. Even in our social distancing and isolation it still feels VERY loud and very noisy. I found myself trying to pull back even before the social distancing. I sensed in my spirit there was about to be a season of being still and knowing He is God! That felt a bit “weighty” and somewhat somber.
As God typically does, He began to speak in my daily Bible reading. I’m reading in 1 Chronicles, and as it so happens the People of God were facing their own bleak and dismal circumstances. They were facing the death of one king (Saul) and the transition of another (King David). There was no rest from the battles they faced day after day, but King David had it in his heart to bring back the “Ark of the Lord.”
We see this in Chapter 13:3-4, Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul. The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.
All sounds noble and good; they set out to bring back the Ark but it doesn’t go as smoothly as they had anticipated. The intentions were good but they were trying to do God’s will their way. As it turns out, the first attempt left them missing out on the blessing of God’s Presence in the camp (Chapter 13:12-14).
In Chapters 14 and 15, we find David making some adjustments to his original plan. Through preparation and making a “prepared place,” he inquires of the Lord to bring back the Ark by accomplishing God’s will, God’s way. The new plan begins to unfold. As I continued to read on in the Scriptures, I heard deep within me, “Sherrie, you can have an idea of what this set aside time looks like and fill it with all kinds of good intentions and good disciplines or you can inquire of Me (God) and go about this sanctioned time in the prescribed way, my way.
Needless to say, God had my attention. What I noticed in Scripture in how David adjusted his posture and plans, I am by the grace of God implementing in how I am approaching my life experiences right now.
First, David summoned the people to consecrate themselves according to the Word of God. Not everything they agreed on or thought was a good idea, the basis for consecration had its foundation in the word of God. So I am seeking the Lord and asking Him if there are any adjustments to my daily routine that need to be made. In other words, is there any new way or plan to how I am approaching and connecting to Him right now in this season? I want to connect with Him, and minister to Him the way He wants, not in the way “I think is best.”
Second, David told the leaders to appoint singers to sing joyful songs. I love that; it wasn’t somber, it wasn’t down in the dumps songs of lamentation or mourning over their circumstances, it was songs of joy. And the cool thing is, when the enemies that tried to stop them saw and heard their posture of worship, Scripture says they ‘despised them in their heart.' The joyful worship got under the skin of the enemy!
I don’t know about you, but it has been a challenge to be joyful. So, the plan is to be more intentional at laughter, looking for the things that put a smile on mine or someone else's face. It doesn’t mean I’m not taking all this seriously, but when I function from a place of joy, my life is making a declaration that my strength and trust are coming from Someone who is more powerful and trustworthy than my situation.
Once the Ark of the Lord was in its rightful place, David ascribed ministers to go before the ark to make petitions, give thanks and to praise the Lord. Then David couldn’t contain himself any longer and he breaks out in song. In I Chronicles 16:27 he declares that, "Splendor and majesty are before God, strength and joy in his dwelling place."
There is A LOT going on all around us in this time of shaking, uncertainty and upheaval. We can choose to be weighted down in all of it or we can rise up and joyfully sing the song of the Lord, for His Presence is among us, and in us, and in His Presence is the fullness of Joy! (Psalm 16:11)
You and I can make the choice to exchange the weighty and burdensome stuff trying to rob us of strength. When I am burdened and weighted down in my emotions, I can’t or don’t rise up in the strength of the Lord and I become vulnerable to what seems right or good through the voices around me. So would you join me today? Let’s shake off the weight that tries to hold us down from running to the place we can draw strength from...the certainty of knowing God is in the camp! In His Presence, fullness of joy abounds.
What will you do today to intentionally get into the Presence of God?
What is one thing that you could do today to bring some joy and laughter to yourself and those in your household?
Listen and meditate today on one of the songs from our Beltway Park Church Worship Spotify playlist: Great I Am by New Life Worship.
