via TJC
As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal, daughter of Saul, watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.
1 Chronicles 15:29
In 1 Chronicles 15:29, King David celebrates the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. He was not afraid to express his joy and gratitude for the gift that God had given his people. The cold stares, even from people of importance, changed nothing about his open show of reverence and celebration. As Christian men, we have been given the greatest gift of all - the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is a gift that I know I have often taken for granted, hiding my joy. As Kingdom men, warriors for the Kingdom, we should not be afraid to celebrate the gift of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ openly.
This is especially true when we are despised for loving Christ. More and more, the world’s message to Christians is antagonistic. Christ, the reason for our hope, is antagonized and our obedience to his commands is called backwards, bigoted and hateful. It is fair game to cast Christians as creepy, evil or comically silly in most every movie and television show and it is common to blame Christians for any violence perpetrated against them. King David shows us that under any opposition, we can still rejoice in God.
It is okay to cry tears of joy or sing praises to God. In fact, the Bible encourages us to do so. In Psalm 100:1-2, we are instructed to "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!". Praise, especially praise in the midst of persecution is a powerful spiritual weapon we are called upon to master.
Daily Battle Order:
Do something joyous to celebrate the fact that you are saved! Sing, dance or pray in thanksgiving! Persecution and Christianity go hand in hand and haters gonna hate but they cannot take our joy just as they cannot take away our God.
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