WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT...!

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You bought yourself a bible. You began to read it. From the beginning. Genesis. You went outside, in the privacy of your backyard, bowed down on the earth before God in heaven, prayed and repented. From then, every day on your day off (or if retired), you wake up, go out onto your patio with a cup of tea or coffee, get comfortable and read several chapters.

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You discover the bible answers questions that have been burning on your mind. Your interest in God has peaked. You begin to learn him. Learn who he is. Learn how he is. The loving God he is. Your excitement about your desire to learn more about him grows continually. You’ve even found a worship home. A non-denominational one.

 

You have learned to ask for God’s Holy Spirit to help you in your journey with him. To never leave you because you know you cannot fight spiritual warfare on your own. The worldly temptations are too strong. Ironic as it may sound but your flesh is weak because sin has locked itself onto you and the rest of the world. You pray to keep your desire for Him strong. To never let you return to your former worldly life. The life of a world that seemingly moves too fast, is meaner and colder.

 

Your love for God grows and grows continually. Now you just cannot wait to tell someone of your joy, of having found God.

 

You get on the phone and begin to tell a friend or a blood relative perhaps, with ecstatic joy, your newfound happiness with the LORD in your life. Suddenly, you’re interrupted and the wide smile on your face disappears, as you get the response you never expected…

 

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We would never expect someone, especially even a family member who has professed their faith in Christ to respond in a way that has now caused you confusion, possible second-guessing and maybe even sadness. That your loved ones don’t share in your joy about your newfound or rekindled faith in God.

 

Perhaps you were one who was raised in a religious family and you expressed no interest in participating in worship on Sundays; had worshiped without a true desire or even an understanding of what worship was to God.

 

Life presents sharp turns, ups and downs, life experiences, which may eventually cause questions to arise from you about why life or the world is the way it is. You’ve turned to the bible for answers, and now by your reading and understanding, you have a different perspective about life, your life, and God. Now that you are older, your own eyes have been opened. You worship God now with a true understanding of it and why you do it in the first place. But with your newfound joy, the way you worship or where you worship is surprisingly a bother to others.

 

Take this to heart:

 

 

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It would seem the people you tell, those closest to you in blood especially, would join you in your joy of your love for God, your life turn-around. But surprisingly and sadly, tradition or spiritual blindness can cause people to react negatively, a way you never expected. In ways that could potentially tear you down, second guess and perhaps even question your faith.

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The moral of 2 Samuel 6 is, be like King David. If you are happy with your spiritual life, your journey and the things you’ve experienced while on your journey, be convinced that you are on the right path. Continue your study, your research, your prayers and your newfound love for God. Love God, His beloved son Jesus, who he gave up for you and the world, who died for you, as you, and as the world. Love God with all your might. Nothing goes unnoticed. But this, your faith, certainly does not go unnoticed by our savior Jesus and our heavenly Father.

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Madeleine McCloude, April 25, 2026

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For easier reading of scripture, refer to various other versions, such as ESV (English Standard Version), WEB (World English Bible) 

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