Impact & Commitment Sunday

​Hey NewLife Family,
Here are five observations from 2 Sam 6, when David was bringing the Ark of the Lord to Jerusalem.

1. Be careful not to neglect the Presence of the Lord. Though the Philistines had captured the Ark in battle, they returned it to Israel in a unique way. When the Israelites saw the Ark returning to them, they rejoiced and even offered sacrifices to the Lord. But then, the Ark was in someone’s house for decades. David even testifies that Israel did not seek the Lord in the time of Saul. There was a spiritual barrenness in Saul’s kingship that affected everything he did. Let us learn from this and make sure we’re diligent in our pursuit of Jesus.
2. Let us be sure to fear the Lord rightly and honor God in the way He has designated, which is through His Son Jesus, the Great High Priest. David originally sought to bring the Ark back but neither he nor the people rejoicing with him followed the procedures God had laid out for handling the Ark. One man saw the Ark was going to fall off the cart and touched it, bringing God’s immediate wrath upon the man, even unto death. This was a big lesson for David and the people. 
3. God’s Presence brings blessing. After the incident where the man died, David was afraid, so he left the Ark at the house of Obed-Edom. During those three months, God blessed everything in Obed-Edom’s life. David hears this and begins to bring the Ark back again.
4. Rejoice in the Lord with all your heart and strength. He is worthy! In fact, as David tells us in Ps. 16, there is fullness of joy in the Presence of the Lord. This time, David, the leaders and the priests handle the Ark properly and there is much rejoicing at the Presence of the Lord coming to the capital of Israel.
5. Bitterness blocks us from seeing the Lord’s Presence and even alters our perception of what is happening, so let’s guard our hearts against bitterness. When David returned to bless his house, his wife Mical despised him and accused him of improperly handling himself in his dancing. Traditionally, Michal is written-off because of this and folks feel like she got what she deserved. But, I think she deserves much more sympathy than we realize. I think her bitterness came from David breaking her heart time and again. 

Friends, we have the blessing of having the Presence of Jesus in our lives. Let’s pay attention to Him AND rejoice and delight in Him!

Blessings!
Pastor Andy 

Questions for Reflection:

1. Are there ways that you are neglecting the Presence of the Lord in your life? Are there areas that you need to bring under His Lordship?
2. Are you rightly honoring and worshipping the Father through Jesus?
3. Take a few minutes to reflect on the blessing of having the Presence of the Lord in your life.
4. What ways do you rejoice, honor, and celebrate the Presence of Jesus in your life?
5. What steps do you need to take to guard your heart from bitterness? Is bitterness present? Ask the Lord to lead you in resolving this bitterness in your life. 

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