February 4, 2024

Passage Read: 2 Samuel 6-9
Meditation Verses: 6:8-11

Thought

How often does God do something, and I see it as hostility. I get angry and I become afraid to bring the Lord near to me, for fear of what He may do to me. God killed Uzzah for touching the ark, and David was angry because he was trying to do a good thing, then he was afraid, because God is God and can he walk in safety before Him? Can he understand what the Lord desires and please Him? So they left the ark with Obed-edom, and God showed something: God was more than willing to bless the house that took Him in; He was not impossible to please, but He did have specific expectations. He is not capricious, but does operate by set principles. He is not impossible to please, but He does have rules and regulations and declared expectations.

Application

Like David, I need to honor the Lord not just in heart but in deed. If I really want to please the Lord, then I need to know what pleases Him. I don't need to be afraid of Him if I'm really committed to doing His will. But if I just want Him to bless my thoughtful efforts without thought of what He might actually want, then I shouldn't be surprised if there is no blessing. He's not capricious, I am. He's operating by principle, I just haven't bothered to know or understand Him. He's not at fault, I am. I'm the only one I need to be angry with, and I'm the one who needs to change in order to line up with what He desires. That's how I actually love God, by knowing His ways and doing as He desires.