King David was told, “The LORD has blessed Obed-edom’s household and everything he has because of the Ark of God.” So David went there and brought the Ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the City of David with a great celebration. After the men who were carrying the Ark of the LORD had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. And David danced before the LORD with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns. But as the Ark of the LORD entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she was filled with contempt for him. They brought the Ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And David sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings to the LORD. When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. Then he gave to every Israelite man and woman in the crowd a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people returned to their homes. When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, “How distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!” David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the LORD, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the LORD, so I celebrate before the LORD. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!” So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.
2 Samuel 6:12–23, NLT
Dearest Michal,
The weight of your words still hangs heavy on my heart. You speak of dignity and decorum, of the kingly robes that are my due. You say I acted like a commoner, “like one of those vulgar men who have no sense of propriety.” But let me tell you this: in the eyes of the Lord, we are all commoners, all in need of His grace.
You question the cost of my actions, saying I exposed myself shamelessly. But what is shame in the eyes of God? I was chosen by Him, above your father and his house, to lead His people. And so, I will celebrate before Him, even if it means appearing foolish in the eyes of others. I danced before the Lord because I couldn’t contain my joy, my gratitude, my love for Him. And I would do it again, Michal, even if it means losing the love of those who don’t understand.
You speak of vulgar men and servant girls as if they are beneath us. But I tell you, Michal, it is often the commoners, the lowly, who understand the grace of God far better than the high and mighty. They know what it means to be lifted from the dust, and so they rejoice with abandon, as I did. Those servant girls you mentioned? They would not have looked upon me with contempt but with understanding, recognizing this man was lost in the love of his God.
It saddens me deeply that you cannot share in this joy, that your heart is not stirred by the same passions that inflame mine. For how can two walk together unless they agree [1]? Our marriage is more than a union of two people; it should be a union of two souls, united in their love for God. If we cannot share in this most fundamental part of life, then what do we have [3]? I pray that one day, you will understand why I danced and join me in that holy celebration.
With a heart for God,
David
Share with your friends “How important is it for you to have shared spiritual devotions with your spouse?”
[1] Amos 3:3
[2] 2 Corinthians 6:14
[3] If we understand the culrural and historical context, Michal’s issue seems to be less about actual indecency and more about what she perceives as a lack of kingly decorum. In her eyes, David’s behavior was not fitting for a king, who should maintain a certain level of dignity and not expose himself in a way that commoners or “vulgar” people might. Her use of the term “exposing himself” likely reflects this concern for royal dignity rather than a literal accusation of indecent exposure.
The Bible’s guidance about being unequally yoked with unbelievers is significant to me. In my view, my spouse is my life partner, and it’s essential that we share the same spiritual devotions. This forms the foundation of our partnership, shaping our mission, purpose, and values, which will guide the direction of our life together. Personally for me, God is such a HUGE part of my life & my identity is in Him. I would want to dance & shout with joy for the Lord with my spouse. I would want to be known & loved as the daughter of the King of Kings. I would want to partner with someone in advancing God’s Kingdom and it is important to me that my kids will know and love God too
(from Mikey)
It’s important because your spouse can easily take you away from the lord if your not careful this one kinda had me thinking about myself how I have trouble worshiping in front of others and I’ve always thought it was weird to tell with praise like they do at church I used to like church when I was younger but as I got older I started hating it because most of the churches I’ve been too are full of judgemental people that judge but don’t reflect upon their own shortcomings they say not to do things but do it themselves so I’ve never felt comfortable in church
It’s really important to have shared spiritual devotions with your spouse. I like how the devotion put it, where it’s more than a marriage, but a union of two souls. Part of walking together is setting aside time for prayer, devotion, and having time set aside for talking about God.
My spouse is the person I will live with for the rest of my life, sharing happiness, overcoming challenges, and raising children together. If we don’t share the same spiritual devotion, we may encounter many disagreements, and my spouse might eventually pull me far away from God. However, if we have the same faith in God, we will grow together and be blessed in the love of God.
It is key to have spiritual devotions with my spouse in order to know we are aligned and on the same page on where God is taking our lives. To build each other and support each another when one another is down. It can help to keep each other accountable to God. Lord I pray keep surrendering to You. To keep sowing a life that glorifies and build the spiritual disciplines with my future spouse. Thank you for today’s reading.
-John
Sharing spiritual devotion with my spouse is the most important thing in our future relationship. And our devotion has to both agree with God and each other. So that we can truly band together as we both get closer to God. And I also agree with what Michal said about being shameless about our faith in God. We should desire God’s love alone, not any other people on earth. If I have a girlfriend that can understand we should both have a flaming desire for God then I know she could be the one.
“Our marriage is more than a union of two people; it should be a union of two souls, united in their love for God” This reflection reminds me of a triangle symbol. Bumble and I are at the bottom, looking up to God. The closer we come to God, the closer we become to each other. Our marriage has one primary goal: serving God and serving others. While it can be challenging at times, especially with Bumble’s busy ministry schedule, I’ve learned to focus and remember our shared goal. I try not to burden him with too much and take care of things myself. Marriage isn’t just a contract; it’s a two-way promise, a covenant. It’s not only a covenant with my spouse but also with God to fulfill our roles as partners.
From Becky
It is important to have shared spiritual devotions with my spouse.
At many marriage conferences, the imagery below is often spoke of:
Picture a triangle – God at the top and you and your spouse on the two bottom corners. As you move up the triangle The closer we come to God, the closer we come to each other. the two sides come closer together.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17)
By sharpening each other we are to call out what each other needs to work on, and point each other to God’s word to make sure that we are applying it to our lives.
With a shared spiritual devotion, my spouse will have the same viewpoint as me, so he will understand the importance of Biblical standards.
He also will be able to strengthen or challenge me because he can point me to Christ.
Kathy loves another man more than me..And I wouldn’t have it any other way (as long as he’s the Son of God).
Our shared love for Jesus It’s not just important for our marriage, it truly is the foundation. Like Jesus, Kathy has seen me at my worst and still yet chooses to love me. We both understand and appreciate grace more intimately because of Jesus.