Before Whom Do I Kneel?

One of the things I love about Thistlebend studies is the emphasis on taking God’s Word to heart.  We do this by choosing a verse from our daily study that stands out to us, and then, each week, we choose one verse from the daily verses we have selected.  This verse becomes our “Taking the Truth to Heart” for the coming week.  We share this with the ladies in our small groups, along with practical ways we plan to apply the verse to our lives. I always put my verse on my phone’s calendar so it will pop up each day at a certain time. This helps me to pause, remember my verse, and consider how I am applying it.

I feel led to share my verse this week because the verse really struck me and revealed to me something significant about my heart.  My verse is Rev 4:11, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

The verses prior to this one provide context. There is a description of heavenly beings who worship God, day and night.  The Bible tells us that whenever the living creatures give glory, the 24 elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Rev 4:11).

They worship God, day and night. They do not stop.

My first thought (to excuse my lack of worship) when I read this verse was, “well, those creatures and elders are all in the presence of God; they see His glory and power in a way those of us on earth cannot see Him.”  And I think maybe that is true.  In our earthly bodies and with our finite minds, we cannot see God the same way the heavenly creatures who surround Him do.

But then I thought, wait.  Those beings are with God, and now that they see Him, they cannot stop worshiping. All day and night. They are so deeply captivated by God and enthralled with His presence that they literally cannot stop worshiping Him. This brought me to thoughts of how I worship God.

Church. Bible Study. Song. Prayer.  Some daily, some weekly, but they sure aren’t all day, every day. In fact, I was convicted that I had not been following directions in our Bible Study to end our daily study in prayer on our knees. I can’t be bothered to kneel before God when I pray! If I’m brutally honest (and this is what Taking the Truth to Heart inspires – honesty with oneself), I approach God in a casual way. I don’t bow before Him. I don’t kneel before Him. I don’t treat Him with awe and reverence.

People in countries with any sort of monarchy bow before their earthly kings and queens. But how many of us bow before the King of the Universe?

For me (and I’m still meditating on the “why”), I think it’s because I don’t know God as my King. I still sit on the throne of my life. I occupy a seat that does not belong to me.

I remember Laurie sharing a quote with us from A.W. Tozer: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” I believe Tozer is right. I want to be more mindful of God than of myself.  I want to bow before Him, and not the idols I have created. I want to love Him with all of my mind, heart, and strength. I’m so thankful to even have these desires, my His grace alone.

There are days my faith is tested and waivers. There are days I wonder where God is because He feels far away, and I feel like I don’t know Him—or myself. I praise God for the provision of a Bible Study that challenges me to look into my heart and ask myself what I believe. I thank Him for allowing me to look inside my heart and see the sin that’s there and that He gives me desire for repentance. And I praise God for His Word, which teaches, trains, reproves, and instructs.

My application for the week? Pray on my knees each day. Assume a posture of humility as I pray to the One I know is my King, to help me begin to experience Him as my King. I may not feel like He’s my King or act like it right now, but I know that He is so by His grace I will be putting my flesh to death this week that wants me to be casual with my creator and King and get on my knees and worship Him!

Do you worship the Lord in this way? Is He your King?

Growing in Grace