Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care. Psalm 95:6-7
Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
My words…
Praise
Lately, I’ve been pondering the posture of my heart – the part of me You see. You are worthy of a humble posture: knees on the ground, face to the floor, head bowed, hands lifted, face raised. Human hearts are made to assume such postures. You made sure of it. Sheep know how to posture themselves before their shepherd. They turn an ear to the shepherd’s voice. They move their hooves in the shepherd’s direction. They obey without wavering. You made sure of it. I am Your child; I am Your sheep. The posture of my heart is a gift from me to You, my Father, my Shepherd.
Prayer for me
I wish I could proclaim a daily, humble posture, but You know a lie when You hear one. I am guilty of a prideful posture in Your presence: arms crossed, hands on hips, a cold glare. Where is the answer to my prayer? Didn’t You hear me the first time? Or the fiftieth time? (I’m good at this. I could go on.) You love me through it, I know, but I still need to drop my arms, fall to my face and plead for Your Spirit to be patient with me. I can’t learn with the cold glare. I can only grow on my knees. So I pray for Your hand on my shoulder as I kneel and listen to the voice of my Shepherd.
Thank You
I could be prostrate in church, and my heart criticizing the sermon. You’d know. My head could be bowed in prayer, and my heart focusing on my to-do list. You’d know that, too. And for this, I am so very grateful! You get to the heart of the matter. Everything You care about is connected to my heart. This truth is both troubling and thrilling. Troubling because You see my weaknesses, my dirty corners. Thrilling because You love me in spite of it. Sprit to spirit. Heart to heart. That’s where we meet. You’re welcome any time. You’re welcome all the time.
More praise
Your posture toward Your children? Arms outstretched, nailed to a post. Head slumped, pierced by thorns. Those who witnessed Your death may not have recognized it for what it was: a posture of eternal love.
