Cover to Cover

Reading: 2 Samuel 3:22-6:23

Focus: 2 Samuel 6:16-23

In this day and age, most people are, generally speaking, conscious of their actions in public places. There would be few instances where people are unconscious of their behaviour in public places. The most outrageous acts in public are unlikely not to be intentional, conscious decisions to act in such a way, usually, to gain attention or, simply, for the entertainment value.

There is one recorded occasion where David simply lets go of all royal propriety. It is when David brings the ark of God to Jerusalem shortly after he had captured it. In celebration of the arrival of the Ark in Jerusalem, David joined the crowds and he was leaping and dancing before the procession. When he returned home, one of his wives, Michal, despised David for his “shameless” actions. Yet David made it clear to her that his actions, though shameless in public, were actions of worship and honour before God.

It makes you wonder about our actions in public. Where David openly worshipped in public, do we dare to express our faith in our actions? How many Christians do you see sitting in public reading their Bibles, while on the train to work, sitting in a cafe during lunch, in the office during a morning tea break…? What about praying before you eat when with a group of non-Christian (or even with Christian) friends, be it in McDonalds or a upmarket restaurant where you could have McDonalds 10 times over? Just to throw it out there, you ever seen a busker playing and singing worship music?

We may not be ashamed to declare our faith when asked, but what reason do people have to ask when there’s nothing that gives away the fact that you’re a Christian? Will you be “shameless” before your God?

Next Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-11:27