Joy and Freedom

453 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 2Sa 6:14-16, “Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. 16 Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. (2 Sam 6:14-16) I want to spend just a little more time on David's change of clothing here. Picture a worldly king for a moment with all his royal robes. Kind of cumbersome wouldn't you say? Now David slips into the linen ephod of the Levite. The best way I can describe an ephod would be to liken it to a hospital gown. It's not a perfect comparison, but it should give you the sense of freedom that the body had in wearing it. To top that off, it was made of linen, and that too should conjure up an image of freedom. So David, wearing the linen ephod freely dances with joy before the Lord. He has established fellowship with God through a peace offering, ( a picture of the restored fellowship available to all through the sacrifice of Jesus) and now demonstrates the joy of that freedom in his impromptu dance. This same kind of joy and freedom is available to you and I through faith in Jesus! Joh 8:36 says, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” The lyrics of two songs come to my mind as I think of this new-found freedom in Christ. One is, “I could Sing of Your Love Forever,” It goes in part like this, “ Oh I feel like dancing, It's foolishness I know But when the world has seen the light They will dance with joy Like we're dancing now, I could sing of Your love forever,” and the seconds is “I Am Free.” Through You the blind will see. Through You the mute will sing, through You the dead will rise, Through You all hearts will praise, Through You the darkness flees, Through You my heart screams, “I am free!” I am free to run, I am free to dance, I am free to live for You, I am free! Oh beloved, taste the freedom of Christ. Receive Him as Lord and Savior. Shed your sins and all their guilt and everything else that encumbers you, and from this day forth, walk freely in newness of life.