Complete Abandon

Complete Abandon
Words of Faith 1-22-25
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2025
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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2 Samuel 6:12-15
[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 down and brought 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] David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, [15] while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
 
     The unexpected loss of Uzzah's life, just as David and his men were hoping to celebrate a great victory, must have been devastating. David spent three months figuring out his next move. The delay must have been partly because the men with him would have been reluctant to start again at the risk of divine judgment.
In the meantime, the Ark was cared for by the household of Obed-Edom, and great blessing and favor came upon that house because of the Ark's presence. The problem was not the Ark of the Covenant; it was the lack of honor and respect paid to the Lord represented by the Ark.
So, at last, the procession began again, this time according to divine requirement. As the ark was carried along, David offered sacrifices, dressed in the priestly attire of a linen ephod, and danced with joy before the Lord. Trumpets were played, and David shouted with joy.
David was not a descendant of Aaron and could not, therefore, ordinarily qualify as a priest. He was, however, the anointed of the Lord, the founder of that messianic line that would be fulfilled in the King, who would also embrace the offices of priest and prophet. Some other Davidic kings functioned religiously as well, though not always properly.
It is often pointed out that David danced before the Lord with complete abandon. As we will see, some did not think this was dignified, but David had been through a great deal in his journey with the Lord. He had spent seasons close to the Lord and then dry and difficult seasons in his relationship with the Lord. This was a time for celebration. This was a time for complete abandon.
It is powerful to realize that David, the man after God's own heart, experienced closeness and distance from the Lord. He struggled to walk closely with the Lord and then would come back with complete abandon. Some of this was very painful, like when Uzzah died while moving the Ark. 
Have you had times away from the Lord? Perhaps you have recently been away from the Lord. Have you experienced a dry season? Have you experienced a painful episode as a result of treating the things of God in a way that was too casual? There is a way back. There is a connection and closeness that can be recovered, and you can be before the Lord with great abandon.
 
      Father God, I want to walk closely with You. I want nothing more than to worship You with complete abandon. I want to journey with You in joyful fellowship. I want to put behind me the painful episodes of the past. Draw me close to You, In Jesus' Name, Amen.
 
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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.