It’s not raining this morning! Before you get too excited, though, the forecast calls for rain tonight. A friend yesterday reminded me to keep my sunny side up. I’m working on it; however, I might also take David’s advice and learn to splash.
There are a few places in the Bible where we’re told that David danced before the Lord. I’m not sure what that looked like, but we’re also told that some disapproved. That makes sense, I suppose. David was a warrior and a king. He was supposed to act dignified. Maybe a little foot-tapping with the music would be acceptable, but dancing? No way!
There’s always someone ready to point out that joy is a bit much, especially in the church. A bit unnecessary. A bit… undignified. But David wasn’t performing for an audience. He was responding to God.
There’s a wonderful thing about joy that refuses to wait for perfect conditions. We often tell ourselves we’ll rejoice (be happy) after things improve. After the rain stops. After life feels manageable again.
But Scripture nudges us in a different direction. Joy isn’t always a reaction—it can be a proactive practice. Sometimes that means choosing joy before we feel it fully. I don’t just mean choosing to be joyful and thankful today, even though it’s going to rain and get colder tonight … although that’s part of it. It’s bigger than that.
David’s joy came from a quiet, faithful willingness to lean toward God. He was chased by enemies. Powerful people wanted to kill him. A couple of times, he lost everything he owned. There were years of “rain.” But the same man who cried out, “How long, O Lord?” danced with joy. That’s something.
Those of you who know me know I’m not going to be literally dancing. You can, if you want! But I am reminded to pause to notice something small and good. I can take one step toward joy. And who knows… I might even splash a little. When no one is looking, of course. What about you?
Prayer: God, teach me not to wait for perfect conditions to find joy in you. Help me to respond to your goodness—even on gray, rainy days. Remind me to sing and dance in your presence, in my own way. Amen.
