2 Samuel 6:1,2
“David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand. He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark.”
David and the people had much to be thankful for. David had become king of all of Israel after 15 or so years after the prophecy. The people were stressed out after Saul's fickle reign. There had been several decisive victories over their chief rival in which they were supposed to lose and possibly lose some of their freedoms.
They understood that God was responsible for all of this and they wanted to honor Him. That's what today's verse is about, giving God His due and putting Him in the rightful place in the nation.
God wants us to honor Him as well. We all have a notion what to do. It may be going to church, giving Him a place in our lives, obeying the commandments, serving others and so on.
Pledging our allegiance to Him with our openness is key. God may have something in mind for us. It may be an attitude adjustment, a task to do, a situation in which we are to trust. It may be a sin to confess or a relationship that needs some work. Being open allows God to give us hints or direction as to what that is.
This is being open to His lordship. It's a necessary part of being a christian. It's not possible to be a christian without this. For us to be His child we must accept Him as savior and lord. He will work to prompt us in particular areas to obey. If we aren't open to Him, then salvation isn't possible.
There are steps and stages. Just like a seed sprouts roots and begins to grow. We may be connecting and responding to God, but unless we allow Him to be savior and lord, we won't mature to the point of bearing fruit.
This stage could be a short time or a long time. It depends on the individual. Listening to His voice is key. If we do, the process continues. If we don't the little seed dies. Hebrews 3:7,8 says, "Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS ON THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS".
Going back to today's verse, the people were responding with gratitude to God with some actions they thought were right. Putting this in context with the last few paragraphs, it's a good idea to include God in our actions. He might not want us to do this or it might not be the right time. It's very possible He would rather us do something else.
It's possible to do work for God that is against His purposes. The act might seem right, but something might be off. The message we share might be the problem. It must be in line with scripture. If that's not the problem, it could be the timing or the wrong audience.
Check in with God about our actions. Part of the Lord's Prayer is "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." Jesus' life was all about doing the Father's will. He would go off to pray. He was going to God to get refreshed as well as to get plugged in. Some times God confirms what we are doing, sometimes not. Most of the time He leads us by circumstance as we are in real time. He may also gives us hunches. Toss up a prayer at those moments. "Lord, if You are in this, guide me and make the people open."
It's a blessing to work in concert with God. He blesses us with peace and a great sense of accomplishment. It's not pride, but a good feeling that's His will. The self esteem message has part of this right. It's a little artificial and forced. But the Lord wants to bless us with confidence as we walk in conjunction with Him.
Doing things for God is great. Let us confirm that He wants them done. He might want something completely different. He will bless us with peace and confidence as we walk according to His will.