Unrestrained and Unashamed -- November 22, 2010

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of my thoughts, my desires, and my day. ... "So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing.... David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet" (2 Samuel 6:12-15). The ark of the Lord speaks of the Presence of the Lord. And David was passionately, jealously desperate for Your Presence. On the day he had the priests bring the ark of Your Presence to the city that would become the spiritual center of Israel and all the earth, at Mount Zion in Jerusalem, his heart was filled with joy. And his spirit was filled with freedom, as he danced in worship before You unrestrained and unashamed. I believe his joy was an expression of Your joy, that things were being set right and aligned in his heart and his nation according to Your plans and purposes. "The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth" (Psalm 50:1-2). David cried out in his psalms his passion to obey the stirring in his spirit to obey the summoning of Your Spirit to establish the place of Your Presence on the earth: "I will not enter my house or get into my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.... Rise up, O Lord, and go to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness and Your faithful shout for joy!" (Psalm 132:3-9) And on the day of his fulfillment of Your desires, he could not contain himself and restrain his joy. How You must have smiled from heaven at the heart of the "man after (God's) own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14). Not everyone shared his passion. Not everyone celebrated his freedom of expression and overflowing of joy it the glory of Your Presence (2 Samuel 6:16). They despised him and accused him of dishonoring You and Your people by his actions they couldn't understand (v. 6:20). But David wouldn't back down, because he knew in his heart he had sought Your face and obeyed Your voice to fulfill Your purpose (v. 6:21-22). His joyful, passionate obedience--unrestrained and unashamed--brought honor, not dishonor, to Your name and to Your servant in the eyes of those who saw his heart (v. 6:22). Lord, give me a fearless passion to passionately pursue Your Presence and seek to obey Your voice with all my might. Let me be compassionate and considerate of the feelings and opinions of others, but unashamed and unrestrained in my sense of obedience and faithfulness to You. Let me know the freedom and joy of serving You with joyful obedience, as You align my heart and set all things right for Your purposes in and through my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays TommyHays@aol.com Friends, please Save the Date of December 10th for our Messiah Ministries' Celebration and Christmas Party! We'll share stories of God's glory and all He has been doing at home and abroad in the life of our ministry. Please come join us in Lexington and bring some friends to know more about Messiah Ministries. Tommy Hays & Messiah Ministries, 2800 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY 40502, USA www.messiah-ministries.org