Sunday March 21, 2021
Positioned for Power
Bowing down. Quite possibly, this is the most humble act a person can perform. It requires such a contrite and submissive heart…and therein lays the struggle. But to bow down or kneel is also the greatest physical act that we can do in worship. When we do this, it literally puts God above us.
To worship something is to acknowledge its worth. We place worth on many things. We know the value of our cars and houses. We place worth on things we choose to buy. We assign value to trinkets at a yard sale. Now I realize that just because we value something doesn’t mean that we are worshipping it. But when we begin to place an object’s worth above other things, including ourselves, then it becomes worship. This is where trouble comes in.
They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; they bow down, yes, they worship. (Is.46:6)
This is also where bowing in humility comes in. When we bow in acknowledgement of God’s immeasurable worth, we are submitting to Him and placing ourselves in His trust and care. It is a very vulnerable place for us, but we have a confidence that God will minister to all of our cares and needs with gentleness, grace and love. (See WORD WISDOM for a deeper study of cares)
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb.4:16)
Now, physically kneeling in prayer is of no value if you do not first bow your heart. When we pray, our hearts must be in complete submission and humbled before God. It’s easy to spout off to God about your needs, your wants, and your desires. It is not so easy to casually spout off to God when you are spiritually bowed down before Him in prayer.
When you consider how God has poured out His blessings upon your life…when you consider how incomprehensible God’s love is…when you consider how unfathomable Christ’s sacrifice was to die for you, you are rendered totally speechless! When we come to realize all this, then you are ready to pray.
We all need God’s help. We all need His blessings in our lives. When we kneel down and fall at His feet, we have positioned ourselves for power…His power. Who would have thought that bowing down before our God would be the most powerful place to be?
My sweet mother went to be with the Lord in December of 1999. Before she died, she asked me if I would sing at her funeral (gulp!). The song she requested was Another Soldier’s Coming Home. There is a line in that song that still speaks to me more than any other: “But she used to walk on water, or it seemed that way to me. I know she moved some mountains and never left her knees.” My mom was positioned for power…that’s where I want to be. Amen.
