When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him . . . (2 Samuel 6:20)

The story goes south when David gets home.

Until that moment David had been immersed in festive worship. The ark of God was being ushered into the city of Jerusalem. David had led the way dancing before the Lord with all his might. Along the way sacrifices had been offered to the Lord - fellowship offerings and burnt offerings. The people were included in this celebration. David had blessed the people by providing all of them with bread and cakes of dates and raisins, a tangible evidence of God's blessing.

And then David went home to bless his household - and there was Michal, waiting and fuming.

Her words drip sarcasm and criticism. She had watched the worship, but she had not worshiped. Further she had despised what she saw. She berates David for his lack of kingly dignity. She calls him "vulgar," mocking the way he made a fool of himself in public.

The shift in the story is remarkable: a scene of joyful worship, an occasion of thanksgiving and celebration comes to a grinding halt with words of criticism and condemnation. "God is good" is elbowed aside by "you're not good enough." Blessing gives way to curse.

And it happened at home. Sadly, that kind of thing seems to happen all the time.

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Throughout the story of David's dancing before the Lord, the word "blessing" is prominent.

It begins with the report given to David about the blessing poured out on the house of Obed-Edom, the temporary resting place of the Ark. God had blessed this man's home and everything he had (6:12). That's the nature of God's presence. Where God is there is blessing.

As David brings the ark to Jerusalem, blessing moves out to the people. The loaves of bread and cakes of dates and cakes of raisins are symbolic of that blessing. In this way "David blessed the people" (6:18).

And then David went home to bless his household. But we see very little blessing there. What we see is bickering, criticism, attack. For many people the largest hindrance to worship is not in their heart; it is in their home.

Worship is grounded in and flows from the experience of blessing. We receive blessing as we enter into God's presence - and then we are sent out to bless others. As God told Abraham, we are "blessed to be a blessing." People who worship God carry the presence God into the world. In this way they are a means of blessing. Sometimes, the most difficult place to do this is at home.

David does not attack his wife in return. He does not strike back - but he is unapologetic. He is unrelenting in his determination to worship. He will not apologize or make excuses for himself. He will live his life "before the Lord." Period.

This is significant for any seek to live before the Lord but also live with people who do not. It may be a spouse or a parent or a recalcitrant child. Someone doesn't get it. Don't fight. Bless your home.

The blessing you offer, the blessing you bring home, may not always be received. But that's not yours to fix. Live every day before the Lord. Enter into the blessing God has for you - and carry that blessing to the world.

Prayer:
Pour out your blessing today, O God, so that I might share that blessing with the world. Grant especially the grace to bless my home. Work through me in such a way that your presence is seen by those closest to me. And when that blessing is not received, grant me the strength to live my days before you, undaunted in the dance, always at worship, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Mark H. Crumpler
Pastor for Teaching and Spiritual Formation
www.markthis.blogspot.com