1st Morning Thoughts

Our spiritual dance is a powerful weapon against the enemy. It is a successive movement endowed by a harmonic beat. A reaction, sometimes physical but mostly spiritual, that serves as a gateway to our Heavenly Father’s ensemble of praise. It is our manifestation of joy that arises at the culmination of mourning.

Our spiritual dance is symbolic of our faith in God’s renewal process. At the end of a season of hurt and pain, God transforms us by the renewal of our mind in preparation for the next season. Our spiritual dance is a celebration of what He has done for us and how boldly He brings us through tough times in our lives. It is because of this renewal that the grieving mother who just buried her child can still rejoice and a man who recently lost his job can find comfort and peace in spite of their circumstances.

The Bible teaches us that spiritual dancing is a form of praise. In Psalm 150:4, we are reminded to praise Him with tambourine and dance, praise him with strings and pipe. And in Jeremiah 31:13, it reads: Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.

I believe that when we embark on a spiritual dance empowered by our triumph over difficult times we are mounting an attack on the devil. After we have dressed for victory by putting on the full armor of God, we move in unison through our spiritual dance towards defeating the enemy. Our movement forces Satan to see us as God sees us – as conquerors filled with grace. Whether we pirouette like a beautiful ballerina, sway like a Chicago freestyler or simply bow our heads in prayer, our spiritual dance is kindled by His majestic orchestra, which permeates a sound that awakens the soul.

A Christian’s eagerness to dance is often a sign that the storm is coming to an end. Our dance reflects our desire to ruin Satan’s plans to keep us immobilized and afraid. It reminds him of God parting the Red Sea and Jesus feeding the masses with five loaves of bread and two fish – miracles only an awesome God can give.  When we dance, Satan is assured that his limited power cannot stop us from believing in an all-powerful God.

In his attempt to control our heart and mind, our spiritual dance is a thorn planted deep within Satan’s side. A constant reminder that we are covered by God’s love and evil has no power over us.

Through His blessings and grace, God creates the sweetest melody. And when he does, and the doors of His salvation are opened to us, we must find it in our hearts to praise him with every instrument we have. Our dance should not be led by darkness; it should only be led by the Holy Spirit.

I dance for you, Lord. I dance with you. I dance in celebration of you. It is my praise.

Psalm 149:3 ESV

Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

Ecclesiastes 3:4 ESV

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

Psalm 30:11 ESV

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.

This article and photo appeared in the April 2016 issue of The Mount Christian Magazine. To subscribe go to http://www.mt-ararat.org/2015-04-30-15-47-47/the-mount-magazine.

Michelle D. Jackson is author of The Heart of a Man, a Christian novel and Founder of The Charity Supper Club, a program designed to raise money to benefit local charities and families in need.