Scripture
O Israel, rejoice in your Maker.
O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
Praise his name with dancing,
accompanied by tambourine and harp.
For the Lord delights in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them.
Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds. Psalm 149:2-5
Observation
“Do you know any good verses about dancing in the Bible?”
It wasn’t the question I expected from my pastor-friend. He is the kind of guy more comfortable on a surfboard than a dance floor. He was scratching up sermon filler for a talk he was crafting about creative arts in services.
Being the sort of guy who leaves dancing in the hands (or rather feet) of professionals I had not given it much thought before. But my concordance brought up Psalm 149. My eyebrows lifted; God’s people are encouraged to dance.
The first question obviously is why God would invite his people to the dance floor? Look at the context. God wants his people to become excited about him. Excitement is essential for a healthy human life. The Lord has given us plenty of reason for exuberance. He “crowns the humble with victory” and “he honors them”. Pay day and graduation day come when God, after months or even years of waiting, awards us with the answer. Monotone and monochrome will not do in such times. Excitement is essential.
But why dancing? Think of it this way. Have you ever watched the gameshow Deal or No Deal? What happens when a contestant wins a wad of cash? They often jump up and down for joy. I’ve done the same when I sold a house or bought another, or got a job, or had my first date with my wife. There are moments that joy must become a contact sport. I may punch my fist into the air and say, “Yes!” or I may jump in the living room floor with the phone in my hand. When I’m excited my body often gets involved.
If we can keep dancing as simple as jumping up and down for joy then we won’t miss the message of this Psalm. God wants us to become excited because he has designed praise to be good for us. Whether it’s singing or moving, exulting in the Lord changes good news into something healthy. Otherwise success, as the cliche claims, can go to our head. Praise burns the adrenaline of achievement so that it does not harm the body with pride.
Adrenaline is an interesting body chemical. It is fantastic at getting us to move in crisis. But if adrenaline just flows through the body without muscles burning it off it can turn into fatigue and exhaustion. That’s why exercise is so important for good emotional health because it burns off the adrenaline created by stress.
There is a spiritual adrenaline that comes from moments of success that if left unused can do damage to our souls. Praise and worship or getting excited about the goodness of God is what spares us from the damage of self-centeredness. Worship enables us to turn our success into praise and to return to the Lord what he has given to us. Excitement is essential to our spiritual health even if it means a little tap dancing when God comes through with a long-awaited answer.
Application
Excitement is essential for me. What an incredible gift the Lord has given to me that I might enjoy him. The comforting thought is that I can even do this in bed for it says, “Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.” Praying into my pillow is my kind of worship!
Prayer
Father, help me to enjoy the privileges of worship of you and help my life inspire others to turn their success into praise, for you are worth getting excited about. Amen.
