DISTANCE
Scripture: David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the
house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.--II Samuel 6:9-10
David is anointed as the king of Israel; however, his coronation
is not complete. The ark of the
covenant, the presence of God has not yet arrived in the city of David, the place of David's
throne. David experiences a lot with
Yahweh throughout his transformation from shepherd to king, yet David is afraid
of the Lord. In his most triumphant, his
most gratifying moment, David muses, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?”. On
the eve of the Divine consummation of his kingship, David hesitates. Fear sets in and David detaches himself from
the presence of God...
This incident resonates with me because I
am often guilty of this behavior. Like David, I come from humble beginnings and God has blessed me immeasurably.
The blessings have been both miraculous and overwhelming. On many occasions, I have wondered, "Is
God sure that he wants me to assume this responsibility? What if I fail? What if someone gets hurt in the
process? What if I get hurt in the
process? If I surrender myself fully to
God's spirit, then I am not in control..." Even at the cost of being estranged from God,
I have sometimes allowed these emotions to consume me.
Invitation:
Acknowledge your fears and hesitations before God. Discover what God does.
Prayer:
Lord I confess that I have not fully invited you into every aspect of my
life. You have blessed me in so many
ways yet I have marginalized our relationship as a result of my insecurities. Forgive me.
Amen.
The Reverend Tiffney Marley
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