John 9.38 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped
him. (ESV)
In the Bible in several (no, many) places it says things
like, he bowed down and worshiped Him;
or they bowed and worshiped; or he worshiped leaning on his staff; and I
have wondered what that meant. Does worship mean bowing? Does it mean raising
one’s hands? Does it mean prostrating
oneself? Or does it mean giving God a
part of us we would not otherwise give unless His presence pulled it out of us?
In John 9, the blind man who had been healed of his
blindness believed in the power and presence of God in Christ and he worshiped Him: he gave that part of
himself to Jesus that wouldn’t have otherwise come out aside from his healing
and the Lord’s acceptance.
In Zephaniah (zef-fon-ee-yah) the prophet says: Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who
do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be
hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord. (Zephaniah 2.3) In this verse
worship looks like seeking (or going after), humility, obedience, and
righteousness (doing what is right in God’s eyes). I think humility is the key
ingredient in worship. It is the key ingredient in all successful relationships.
The blind man healed in John 9 humbled himself before God
and admitted his need and when he discovered the Source of his supply, he worshiped Him. The calling of God in Zephaniah is: humble yourself before the Lord and when the day of His wrath comes,
perhaps you may be hidden from the terror unleashed on the arched-backed
arrogant. Humility is key to worship.
No matter what happens to me in life, humility is one of
those things I need. Humility will allow me – enable me – to accept all as from
God’s hand and worship Him in every situation and season of life. There is a
higher calling on you and me and we won’t get there without humility. (And
selflessness, and submission, and a host of other graces given to the one who
humbles him or herself in the presence of Almighty God.)
Lord Jesus, help me learn the lessons of humility, and thereby
worship You in spirit and truth. You said that
is what the Father seeks: those who do just that.
And may I give You what comes as a result of encountering You, as I am oiled by
the majesty of Your presence and power, my worship whether it is the simple
bowing of my head, the lifting of my hands, the leaning on my staff, or the
whispering of Your Name. Help me Lord to learn and to worship… Amen.
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