Are you David or Michal

If you haven't heard the story, I will briefly tell you. David... Yes, The David that fought Goliath... David was bringing the ark of the Lord back to Israel. He leaped and danced before the Lord in his Undergarments ( Not underwear ) and Michal the daughter of Saul watched him out the window and despised him in her heart. She basically told him he was being a fool. His response was basically to say, you ain't seen nothin yet!

David was thrilled with the victory! He was thrilled with the grace and mercy of an almighty God. He danced and leaped with joy for all the Lord had done for Him.

I know how David felt. There are so many times the Lord has set me free. So many times He has delivered me. How can I not praise Him with all of me? How can I not lift up my hands and dance ( in my own way ) and leap (In my own way) Before the Lord. How can I not bring Him the offering of Joy and the Sacrifice of Praise and Worship? He has blessed me so much and forgiven me of such great sins, and had such great mercy on me. I have to praise Him! I can't stand beside and watch!

So I choose to be like David.

My question is, what do you choose to be? Are you going to be like David? Or are you a Michal? It's easy to criticize others who worship. It's easy to stand back and look through your narrow point of view and say, what are they doing? They look silly! It's easy to stand back and watch others and say, they are just showing out. It's easy to say what are they so excited about? Why are they acting a fool? That my friends is easy.

What's harder is to put aside your pride, to put aside your preconceived notions of what praise should be, and give yourself completely over to Jesus. It's harder to say, I don't care what people think of my praise. It's harder to dance before the Lord knowing there are Michal's out there judging you. It's harder to stand up and say Lord I am yours and My joy is yours, and My praise is yours, and my worship is yours. It's harder to say, God I will praise you with every shred of my being because you are worthy!!

It's harder, and yet it's so easy. It's so easy to worship Him because of all He's done for me. It's easy to give myself when I lay down pride and I lay down people pleasing and I say, Lord, You have saved me! You have Renewed me! You have forgiven me! It's easy to praise Him when you look from the view point of " This God, Who created me, Came to earth as a man, in the flesh, He took my sins upon Him, He gave everything for me. What else can I do but live my life for Him? What else can I do but raise my hands and open my mouth and say Jesus I love you?? What else can I do but say, I AM YOURS LORD!! I GIVE YOU ALL MY PRAISE??

I'm not saying you have to worship like I do. I'm not saying you have to be what I want you to be. What I'm saying is Praise Him how you Praise Him, and do it with all of your heart, soul, and mind.

Or...

You can be Michal.

You can look at everyone else and criticize. You can judge the praise of others. You can look through your window and say, they are being a fool.

Now for what you don't know from your window...

God saved me from Alcoholism. He saved me from Suicide. He saved me from Pornography. He saved me from Lust. He saved me from Depression. He saved me from Sin. He saved me from Gambling. He saved me from the Grasp of satan himself!! He saved me from People Pleasing. He saved me from pride. He saved me from Hatred. He saved me from bitterness and unforgiveness. He saved me from fear. He saved me from everything!!

Now, Even though you know all I just wrote. You don't know the whole stories. You don't know how I used to sit on a rock behind my house at 16 and drink a fifth of vodka in 10 minutes. You don't know how I used to sit in my car and smoke marijuana, and how there wasn't a time when you saw me in my 10th and 11th grade years of high school when I wasn't stoned. You don't know how I struggled with alcohol abuse for years. You don't know How I took so many pills with tequila that I shouldn't have woken up, but I did. You don't know how I almost lost my soul because of sexual addiction. You don't know how I sunk so low I ended up in psychiatric hospital. You don't know that I was lost in Secret sin and self destruction. You don't know that I used to spend 100 dollars on lottery tickets in one day. You don't know that I was hurt so bad as a child that I was not only terrified of everything but I held bitterness in my heart for so many years and was silently being destroyed. You don't know the pain of my past.

Now you know. Some of it.

Now you know, why I lift my hands. Now you know why I clap my hands. Now you know why I say hallelujah. Now you know why I cry tears of joy. Now you know why I dance before the Lord. Now you know why I give Him all my praise. Now you know, why I can't help but worship Him with all of me. Now you know

Why I am a David.

Praise the Lord all ye people.

So next time you feel critical of someone's worship, next time you judge what someone is doing for God, just remember. You don't know where they have been and where the Lord has brought them from. You don't know what their praise means. Don't be a michal.

BE A DAVID!!!