Praise, kneel and listen

Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! … We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. (verse 6)

Read Psalm 95

Worship begins with a rousing shout of recognition and celebration. ‘The Lord is King; ‘The Lord is risen.’ Worship is not a now and then thing but an ongoing state of heart and spirit – the Lord is creator, the source and meaning, the Alpha and the Omega of all I am.

There can be only one response – to bow and kneel down in awareness of my human frailty, sin and limited understanding. And then to fall down in wonder that this king doesn’t need or demand anything. I am stunned into silence by realising that this king doesn’t exploit his people but cares for them as a shepherd, leading, protecting and providing for his flock. It is grace from beginning to end.

Then comes the call, the challenge, the plea to listen to God’s Word. It’s a bit like a parent talking to a child: ‘Listen to what I say. Don’t talk back. Just do it.’

And the reinforcement comes from my memories. Remember the disasters which happened when I chose not to listen, the pain I brought on myself by doing things my way?

I praise you, Lord, aware of my frailty and awestruck by your grace. Strengthen me so I don’t repeat the mistakes of my past. Amen.

Devotion by Geoff Burger from “Time Out … food for each day” (Australian Church Resources, 2017)

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