Dancing with all his might

Deborah Bate July 21, 2026 1 0

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2 Samuel 6: 12-16 (NIV-UK)

12 Now King David was told, ‘The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.’ So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.

Ever been to a party or event with music and a dancefloor? A wedding maybe? Or a ceilidh? To my observation, such a context can reveal a lot about human character. Some watch from their seats. Others wait until the dancefloor gets busier before joining in with friends. There are those who begin with a nervous sway, maybe a nonchalant side-step. But usually, at some point in the evening, there will be somebody who takes the plunge and goes for it! The dad or uncle who hears the opening riff of a record from their youth and starts flinging themselves about, arms and legs flailing in total abandonment, as if re-living said youth again. Or how about the five-year-old boy whizzing, unashamedly, across the floor, before sliding on their knees in a rock-star pose?

What about you? Have you ever totally let go on the dancefloor, totally uninhibited at the thought of anybody seeing or what they might think? It’s just you, totally absorbed in the music, inhabiting it with your entire being. It might require a certain degree of courage, for sure. But imagine being over that potential hurdle, imagine being totally free before the Lord, dancing “with all your might” as David did. Maybe you and I can challenge ourselves, dare ourselves, next time we hear a tune we love, either at home or at a party, to move a little free-er, dance a little harder, and do it as praise to the Lord. Maybe we’ll understand why David did.

Let’s pray:

Father God, thank you for the expression of dance and the joy it can be to engage in. Help us learn from David, that as he danced with all his might before you, that this might be how our hearts love you, with wild abandon. Teach us greater freedom in expressing you, and might we even dare to dance more dangerously in your presence the next time opportunity arises. Amen.