Worship God with abandon (1) - All The Word for Today Daily Devotionals for 2026

‘Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.’ 2 Samuel 6:14 NKJV

In 2 Samuel 6, David had just been crowned king of Israel. He had defeated the Philistines and recaptured Zion. Now he is bringing the ark of the covenant, the ultimate symbol of God’s presence among His people, back to Jerusalem. After years of living without it, the sight of it overwhelmed David with joy, causing him to strip off his kingly robes and dance before the ark with abandon wearing nothing but a loincloth. Yet, when you get excited about God, don’t expect everybody to get excited with you or understand your excitement. David’s wife, Michal, was such a person. The Bible tells us two things about her.

1) ‘… Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart’ (2 Samuel 6:16 NKJV).

2) ‘Therefore Michal … had no children to the day of her death’ (2 Samuel 6:23 NKJV).

Seemingly, worship is foolish, isn’t it? Singing to somebody you can’t see. Lifting up your hands to somebody you can’t touch. Or, in David’s case, failing to act with kingly dignity and decorum. An old proverb says, ‘Those who hear not the music think the dancer is mad.’ That’s what is going on in this story. David hears the music and worships God with abandon. Michal doesn’t and forfeits what she longs for most. Don’t miss the point here. When you discount the critics and naysayers and decide to worship God with all your heart, you begin to thrive spiritually. When you don’t, you end up spiritually barren.

SoulFood: Gen 50 Hag 1-2 John 20:1-18 Ps 105:1-7 Ecc 5:13-16