BOWING DOWN IN WORSHIP

Come let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before Him with thanksgiving

and extol Him with music and song

For the LORD our God is the great God,

the great King above all gods ...

Come, let bow down in worship,

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture,

the flockunder His care.

Psalm 95:1-7

There is a beautiful progression here that brings us into the immediate presence of God. The Psalmist in Psalm 95:1-2 tells us how we should praise Him - it starts with loud and jubilant praise and thanksgiving: "Let us sing for joy ... let us shout aloud ... " God encourages us to express freely our praises and our thanksgiving. Then Psalm 95:3-5 tells us why we should praise Him - for the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods!

Then, as we go further, the mood changes: "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker (Ps 95:6-7)." Praise and thanksgiving lead us on to worship. Worship is not so much an utterance as an attitude. It is bowing down, kneeling - even at times prostrating ourselves before God. Every part of our being and every area of our personality is involved. All unite in total, unreserved submission to God.

Praise means looking up, but worship means bowing down. Alas, some people who enjoy lifting their hands and shouting do not enjoy bowing their knees and submitting. True worship is much deeper than communal praise, for worship involves realizing the awesomeness of God and experiencing THE FEAR OF THE LORD and A DEEPER LOVE FOR HIM. Too often, Christian "praise" is nothing but religious entertainment and it never moves into spiritual enrichment in the presence of the Lord. Our singing must give way to silence as we bow before the Lord. He alone is JEHOVAH, the LORD, the covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He is our MAKER (Ps 95:6b) and our SHEPHERD (Ps 95:7a). He made us, He saved us and He cares for us! Why should we hesitate to fall before Him in worship?

The pathway that the psalmist here describes takes us through praise and thanksgiving into worship and stillness before God. When we come into this attitude of worship, we are able to hear God speaking directly to us. That is why the psalmist continues, "Today, if you hear His voice ..." (Ps 95:7b)

Bow down and worship God! - HE IS WORTHY! \0/\0/\0/
TPWC