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Welcome my friends to season 3 of the Determined to Dance podcast. My prayer is that you’ll be encouraged to persevere daily in our chaotic world. Today’s episode, Let’s Dare to Dance with God, starts a thirty-episode season where we dig deep into what it takes to excel during the dance…
Show notes: Let’s Dare to Dance With God
Stay determined to dance. On the podcast, season one, we learned what exactly it is to dance with God and how to persevere where we are, no matter what the circumstances. Season two was spent discussing prayer since learning to talk and listen is essential when it comes to being in step with the Father.
Season three will be a study in the book that started my road to God’s great dance floor: Daring to Dance with God by Jeff Walling. While re-reading this book about stepping into God’s embrace, I decided to take twenty-eight interesting points that Walling makes and bring them in for discussion.
Only twenty-eight, you might ask? I thought you said a thirty-episode season. I did, my friend. Two episodes will be reserved for a special interview with the author himself. Jeff Walling has graciously consented to talk about his work in greater detail. You won’t want to miss these two episodes, I know.
Our first episode quote from Walling? “Don’t you want to dance? I do. I want to be swept away on a cloud of music and laughter. I want to experience the sheer bliss of waltzing and gliding across the room to the sound of an orchestra in full swing. And not just with anyone. No, I want to dance with the one who invented dancing. I want to dance with God. And guess what? He wants to dance with me. And he wants to dance with you too.”
As we dare to dance with the Father in greater ways than ever before, I’d like to share an example that stood out to me one day at church. During the worship music segment of the service, my eyes were drawn to a young mother and her three-year-old child. They were a delight to watch. The child jumped up and down, twirled in her dress, and waved her hands in the air. She clearly enjoyed dancing with God in her own special way. Her mother stood singing, eyes raised to the sky and hands lifted, palm up, at the waist. She worshiped in a different fashion.
Do you think God accepted only one or the other? I believe God is equally pleased with our worship if it is from the heart. The Word says in Matthew 15:8: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” NKJV
God clearly states that He looks for a heart that is drawing close to Him. It’s not the outer appearance that counts. I Samuel 16:7 says: “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” NKJV
So, let’s begin this season with a glimpse at our hearts. Not the blood-pumping organ in our body. The 1828 Webster Dictionary has several thoughts on the heart beside the physical:
- The seat of the affections and passions, as of love, joy, grief, enmity, courage, pleasure, etc.
- The seat of the understanding.
- The seat of the will; hence, secret purposes, intentions, or designs.
The seat. When we look at that word, it says: The place where a thing is settled or established.
When our hearts draw close to God, we seek Him with our affections, passions, understanding, and will. We don’t do this once a month or once a year. We want our drawing close to be a settled, established part of our lives.
Now, Father God is not looking for robots. Routine and order aren’t bad as long as we are drawing near out of love, and affection, to be safe in Abba’s arms. If I dare to venture out onto the dance floor of life, especially during difficult times, I need to know the outstretched hand of God is strong. Mighty. Safe.
In John 10:28-30, Jesus says: “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” NKJV
Such a beautiful promise. Jesus lets us know that not only can no one snatch us from His hand, no one can snatch us from the Father’s hand. Praise God.
So, let’s take time this year and dare to dance. Let’s expand our boundaries of love and obedience to God. How about we serve our family, friends, and community out of love, not duty. And what could draw people to God more than a dancer with a smile on their face? A person allowing the Jesus in them to shine through them.
Let’s pray: Father God, we step out of our comfort zone to dance with You, reaching out to the people we meet. There are needs all around us and we want to be Your hands and feet. Show us how to love and care for others. Expand the boundaries of our reach. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
We desire to be molded and made more like God. Next week, we’ll look at letting go so we can dance to our fullest.
Until then, stay determined to dance.
Links
My debut novel, Jessie’s Hope
Remember: Let’s Dare to Dance With God
Video of the week:
I absolutely love music and each week I’d like to share a relevant song we can enjoy together.
