Like A King
“You're a lot like a King,” I told our five-year-old daughter. “A king!?” she said with a big question mark on her face. “I'm a girl, girls can't be kings!” “Well, I didn't say you were a king, I said you are a lot like a king…like King David.” “How am I like King David?” she asked, as she put rosin on her violin bow. “Well, King David played a stringed instrument too, like the violin.” “Oh,” she said, “but you said a lot and that’s not a lot, that's just one thing.” “Ok, smarty pants. Well, King David started playing his instrument at a young age, he would play as he shepherded his father's sheep. He spent a lot of time in the pastures with the sheep praising the LORD with his instrument. You praise the LORD with your instrument too, so… you kind of worship like a king. All throughout David’s life he praised the LORD with his voice, his dance, and his instrument, my prayer is that you will do that too.”
My husband and I began teaching our daughter, as soon as she could understand, that everything she does in this life is to honor and glorify God Almighty. She has a mantra that she says before doing anything, “I am a mathematical genius!” she says before she begins her math lesson. “I am a reading and language genius!” she declares before conquering her reading and writing. Each time she picks up her violin to play she says, “I am a professional violinist. I am a musical genius!” Then she recites Psalm 115:1, “Not to us LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness.” She used to laugh when saying her mantra but not so much anymore. I think she realizes that if I am adamant about her doing something, it must be important. Speaking positive things over your life is extremely important, after all, God spoke the world into existence. But even more important, is giving God the glory for each and every thing! Her talents and intelligence are all due to God, they will put her in position to do God’s will and be a blessing to others throughout her life. And, God gets the glory for that.
David always had a song in his heart for the LORD. He was no stranger to difficult times, yet, regardless of what he was going through, the LORD was his light, his salvation, and the strength of his life (Ps. 27:1-3). Whether tending sheep, fighting giants, running from the enemy, or conquering nations David passionately pursued and consistently sought after the LORD. In Psalm 27:4 he says, “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD, All the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple.” It gave him pleasure to praise the LORD! “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations” (Ps. 100).
In 2 Samuel 6, David was King, surrounded by mighty military men whom he led through battle, not a little boy in the pasture by himself anymore. He danced and sang while instruments were played to honor God as they were finally successful at bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. David didn't hold back in his worship, he presented everything he had before the LORD in praise to give Him the glory. Those aren't necessarily the actions of any other kings, especially not these days. What political leader do you know who will dance and sing before the LORD and commission his people to do the same? I guess that’s why the LORD called David a man after His own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). David thought it not strange to worship the LORD and to turn whatever experience he had with God’s goodness into an excuse to worship. Whether as a boy or a king, it was David’s natural response to give God the glory.
“Therefore, we will sing my songs with stringed instruments all the days of our lives, in the House of the LORD” (Isa. 38:20). What is your response to the goodness of God? Is it your natural response to give Him the glory? Do you seek after His presence? Do you use your talents to bring Him glory? Do you dance like David danced? Do you worship like a king?
