Dance with all Your Might

I am sure that all of you probably know the song and dance called "The Hokey Pokey." It goes like this:

You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out.
You put your right hand in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you turn yourself around,
That's what it's all about.

After your right hand, you put your left hand in, then your right foot, then your left foot, then your head, until finally -- and this is the best part -- you put your whole self in. It is great fun to put your whole self in and shake with all your might. Just picture everyone in this room dancing with all their might and you will get a picture of what is happening in our Bible lesson today.

In our Bible lesson, King David and a large group of young men were bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. Do you know what the Ark of the Coventant is? When we hear the word Ark, we usually think of the big boat that Noah built to save his family and the animals during the great flood, but this is a different kind of ark. The Ark of the Covenant was a large, beautiful box, which was covered in gold. Inside the Ark were the two pieces of stone with the 10 commandments on them, Aaron's staff, and some pieces of manna. The Ark and its contents were symbols of God's leadership and protection of the Children of Israel and they carried it with them as they wandered in the wilderness.

During a battle against the Philistines, it was decided to carry the Ark into battle for good luck. The Philistines won the battle and captured the Ark. Now, after many years, the Ark was finally being returned. As King David entered the city of Jerusalem with the Ark, he and all of Israel rejoiced and the Bible says that David was dancing before the Lord. He wasn't just dancing a little bit. He put his "whole self in" and danced with all his might.

When we come to worship, we should follow the example of David. I am not suggesting that we do the Hokey Pokey, but when we worship the Lord, we should put our whole self into it and worship with all our might.

Dear Father, we praise you, we adore you, we worship you with our whole heart. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.