II Samuel 6:21–23 captures one of Scripture’s most striking confrontations. After David’s enthusiastic worship before the Lord, Michal confronts him with cold disdain. David replies: “It was before the Lord—who chose me above your father and all his house—that I danced. And I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in your eyes. But those very servant women you mentioned—they will hold me in honor.” And Scripture adds a sobering footnote: “Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.” In my previous post, I walked through the moment when David first attempted to bring the ark of God into Jerusalem—an attempt that ended with Uzzah struck dead for touching the ark. The celebration screeched to a halt. ... Read More about Worship That Moves God: The Lesson of David and Michal

II Samuel 6:6–7 records one of the most jarring moments in all of Scripture: “When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.” For nearly a century the Ark of the Covenant had rested in the home of Abinadab—ever since the Philistines captured it, were cursed by it, and sent it back to Israel in terror. Now David, newly enthroned in Jerusalem, longs to restore the ark to the center of national worship. His intentions are noble. His excitement is real. But in their zeal, they commit a subtle yet devastating error: they transport the ark on an ox cart, the same ... Read More about When Good Intentions Meet a Holy God

I Samuel 18:1 "...the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David." Like many of you, I have several favorite figures in Scripture, and one of them is Jonathan—the eldest son of King Saul and the beloved friend of David. Though he was the crown prince of Israel and lived a life surrounded by privilege, Jonathan never used his position to elevate himself. Instead, he lived with humility, courage, and a deep, unshakable faith in God. Jonathan’s trust in the Lord made him extraordinarily brave. On one occasion, he attacked an entire Philistine garrison with nothing but his armor bearer behind him. When he sought God’s direction, his only question was simple: “Should we wait here and let them come to us, or shall we attack?” There was no hesitation, no insecurity—just confidence in ... Read More about A Warrior’s Heart, a Servant’s Soul: The Life of Jonathan

The Book of Ruth has stirred my heart today in a way I didn’t expect! It’s a quick read—only four chapters—but its message has richly blessed my soul. It starts with Elimelech of Bethlehem, who decides to flee from the judgment of God on Israel during the time of the judges. Famine had come, which God promised would not fall on Israel unless they broke faith with Him—which they had. Faced with scarcity of food, instead of repenting and crying out to God as he should, Elimelech left his relatives, friends, and the land he inherited, and ran away to Moab, a people God had cursed (Deuteronomy 23:3), simply because he thought life would be better there—even though it was outside of God’s will. He took his wife, Naomi, and his two sons, who married Moabite (not Jewish) women. As the ... Read More about When Life Falls Apart: The Ruth-Shaped Path Back to Blessing