2 SamuelSample

Human beings are hard-wired to give praise and glory to the things we find most important. 

We flood our sporting arenas to cheer on our favorite teams, decked out in team colors. Posters are plastered on our walls, trophies adorn our shelves, and our social media accounts self-promote. What we value drives our worship, and often when we take a look around, we find that our praise has been misplaced. We worship the idol of self, thinking that it brings pleasure and control, but instead we experience dissatisfaction and fear. Only serving the one, true God gives us the life and purpose we crave. 

Worshiping God can take on a variety of forms. Typically, we think of worship as verbal affirmation or a song of praise, when in reality it can look like generously giving our time, energy, and/or resources. This past week in 2 Samuel, we saw a variety of forms of worship, and many of those instances were centered around the Ark of the Covenant. David tries to move the Ark to Jerusalem but fails the first time. He forgets to recognize God’s holiness and doesn’t fully obey God’s commands. When David fully obeys, the ark is moved properly to Jerusalem and they dance and sing. David later uses the gifts and resources he is given to worship the Lord. The life of David reminds us that we can praise the Lord with our obedience, words, actions, time, and resources. Our whole lives surrendered to the Lord can be an act of worship to the Lord. “As long as God has your life, that is the only song you need to sing.” – Jackie Hill Perry

Look back at the word: 

1. Skim through 1 Samuel 4:1-11. What happened to the ark? Why was it lost? What does this tell you about Israel's relationship with the Lord at that time? 

2. Read 2 Samuel 6. Why does their first attempt to move the ark fail? What is different the second time? What does this tell you about Israel’s relationship with the Lord? 

3. Looking back at what you have read this week, list the ways that David worships the Lord. 

Questions to consider: 

1. How do you spend your time, money, energy, and other resources? What has most of your attention right now? Based on those things, whose glory are you seeking? 

2. Today, what would it look like for you to use what God has given you to praise Him instead of yourself? Tell someone else, so you can hold each other accountable.

3. Who could you tell about what you have learned this week? Make a plan to do this.

Let’s pray:

Father, I confess that I have been selfish with the gifts you have given me. Instead of giving You all the glory, I twist my talents to build my own reputation. Instead of turning to you for satisfaction, I waste my time and energy on idols that don’t measure up. Remind me today of your goodness, faithfulness, and grace. Lord, You alone are worthy of praise. Today, I surrender my talents, energy, and possessions to You!