Stand Firm/Love Well | What Happens in the Fire | Bow Down

Come let us worship and bow down…    Psalm 95:6

Hold it right there! We don’t bow down. We’re Americans. We’re independent. We bow to no one unless we take a knee to further our own agendas. We bow when we say we will bow. We’re the captains of our own ships, the navigators of our own destinies, the authors of our own stories. Aren’t we? What we don’t realize is that very attitude is a position of worship. We cannot help ourselves. We were created to worship God and if we say no to Him, we will worship something else.

No way! you might be thinking. You may believe you worship nothing because hurt, disappointment, anger, or apathy has led you away from God. You’re wrong. You are engaged in full-scale worship of yourself, of culture, of popularity, or your own bitterness. Worship is the act of losing ourselves in the adoration of another. When we worship something besides God, we lose ourselves in its pursuit. We sacrifice for it, whether it be money, fame, sexual gratification, or even anger. We disregard the Lord in favor of a lesser god we invented. When we worship God, we forget ourselves and bask in His glory and beauty. 

In worship, God speaks to us, convicts us of sin, and draws us into His presence. We were made to worship God, but He gives us a choice. We can chase other gods, but one day every knee will bow to Him (Phil. 2:5-11). It’s best if we practice now.

Final Thought:  What are you worshiping? 

Prayer: Lord, are you the only god in my life? Have I been fooling myself? What is my life bowing to? Where is my loyalty? I choose now to forsake all other gods and worship you alone. Come, Self, let’s worship and bow down. In Jesus’ name, Amen.