A Time to Dance

This post is by Jennifer Dixon.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens….There is A TIME TO DANCE."  (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4b).  I find the Hebrew meaning for the word dance in this verse fascinating.  According to Strong's Concordance, it means to spring about (wildly or for joy)--to dance, jump, leap, skip. 

The word for dance in Ecclesiastes is the exact Hebrew word in 1 Chronicles 15, when David was bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem.  1 Chronicles 15:28 reads:  "So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, and cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres."  In verse 29, David's wife, Michal, looked out the window and saw King David "dancing and celebrating".  

How can we, as daughters of the King of kings, relate to such dancing and celebration in our lives today?  I believe we can dance before our Heavenly Father.  It can be a daily part of moving our bodies, of acknowledging the One who created our bodies.  I challenge us to spend just a few minutes each morning in His presence.  Turn some praise music on.  The tempo can vary.  Make it personal.  Spread your arms.  Spin around.  Acknowledge His greatness.  Thank Him for giving you the ability to dance before Him.  There are so many wonderful songs to choose from.  Or just sing to Him and dance.

Psalm 100 is beautiful in its entirety.  "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!  Serve the Lord with gladness!  Come into His presence with singing!  Know that the Lord, He is God!  It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.  Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!  Give thanks to Him; bless His name!  For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations."

What would happen if we incorporated dancing for the Lord into part of our daily routine?  I believe the spiritual rewards would far outnumber the physical.  And God is so amazing. He loves us individually, and will respond to us according to our heart's intent.  

But in addition to the spiritual reward, there would be many physical rewards of dancing.  Just a quick search on the internet for "benefits of dance" can be encouraging, making one want to dance!  According to various reports on google, dancing improves mood, strengthens bones, improves memory, increases energy, helps with weight loss, relieves stress, and even leads to a stronger immune system.  

To dance before the Lord, we do not have to be coordinated and our dance does not have to be correctly choreographed.  We can come to a place of knowing that God loves us and created us for His glory.  He loves us.  We can respond to His love for us by praising Him.  And DANCE is a form of praise!  

Jennifer loves being a homeschool mom to her two teenagers.  She also works part time as a social worker.  She enjoys spending time with her family, and writing. She hopes to one day write a children's book.

Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash