Every Step Along the Way

There are many characters in the Bible that I want to be like, and there are others I view as cautionary tales.  One Bible hero, king David, is on my list of those most admired.  David was described in scripture as being a man that God sought out and chose, “a man after his own heart (I Sam. 13:14 NIV).”  This is how I want to be described and remembered.  Whether David was similar to God and fashioned after God’s heart; or if he was always in pursuit of God, desiring nearness and relationship, and zealously going after the precepts of God, He is one of my personal Bible heroes.   

David, of course, had his high moments along with his failures.  In II Samuel 6 we can read some of each.  It had been many years since the ark of God, or the ark of the covenant, had been in Jerusalem.  It had, in fact, been outside the city since its capture by the Philistines nearly 100 years before (I Sam. 7:2 AMP).  David desired to bring the ark, the symbol of the presence of God, back to Jerusalem and put an entourage together with gusto!  He took tens of thousands of people with him, set the ark on a new cart, and had the house of Israel playing music to the Lord, “with all their might, (II Sam. 6:5 AMP).”  When the cart became unsteady, however, a man named Uzzah reached out and touched the ark to steady it.  Uzzah immediately was killed by the righteous anger of the Lord, and the celebrants fell silent in regret and fear.  Even David was, “grieved and offended,” that the Lord had struck down Uzzah.  He became discouraged and left the ark nearby for another three months while he regrouped. 

David’s second attempt, thankfully, was successful.  He again went with an entourage; with musicians, dancers, priests, and sacrifices.  The priests carried the ark by the poles as instructed in the law (Ex. 37:4-5).  The celebration as they travelled looked differently than during the previous attempt.

…So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with  rejoicing; and when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.

II Samuel 6:12-13 AMP

There were many starts and stops during the procession into Jerusalem.  No more than six steps were taken at a time before they paused to sacrifice and worship God.  As they were bringing the ark of the covenant, which symbolized the presence of God, they were literally stopping to recognize Him and encounter His presence.  Their sacrifices and worship were heard a long way off, and were received by God Almighty.

This story about David illustrates his tender heart toward the Lord, his heart of worship, and the great lengths he went to worship, “with all his might.”  When David worshipped God, he did so with abandon, not giving thought to monetary expense or the expense of his esteem in the eyes of other people. He dared not go further than six steps at a time before he erupted in worship and thankfulness for God’s presence.

In contrast, I do not want to be like the men who encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus.  Luke tells the story of these two men in chapter 24.  They were on the road to Emmaus, walking away from the city of Jerusalem, on resurrection day.  They did not, however, recognize that Jesus had joined them and was walking with them.  These men were followers of Jesus, though not in the inner group of the twelve apostles, and had listened to His teachings and followed Him throughout His travels.  They walked and walked, and talked with Jesus as He explained the scriptures about Himself, the Messiah.

It was not until the evening meal that they recognized who had been walking with them.  They finally became aware that it was Jesus as He departed from their presence. 

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.  They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Luke 24:31-32

From the days of king David until resurrection day the nation of Israel took step after step away from God.  They walked along their own path until God’s presence was far away from them.  The two men on the road to Emmaus, even while walking all those steps alongside Jesus Himself, did not recognize His presence with them.  I would much rather be like David and be compelled by my love and pursuit of God that I must pause every six steps to worship Him. 

The question is, how many steps are we willing to go?  How far along our paths are we willing to go before our own love for God and desire for His presence stops us in our tracks, forcing us to pause to recognize and worship the Lord?  I, like David, desire God’s presence in my life, and pray my heart is always in pursuit of Him.  A heart of worship, a posture of worship, and frequent stops to recognize God’s presence in our lives are the way to guarantee a successful journey, no matter the road we walk.