440 - Bow Down and Worship

Dear Lord, thank you for such a wonderful day. I know I will regret saying this, but I am so ready for some cooler weather. This hot and humid stuff is killing..................my hair! ugh!!

I am back at the 2nd commandment today again. I have found another phrase that I think is so important that I have dissected it. Exodus 20:5 "You shall not bow down to them or worship them." Now if i just say that lightly i would think that the Lord was being kind of redundant right there. Isn't bow and worshipping the same thing? Yeah, that is what i thought too, but after researching just a tad at this wee hour of the morning, i see that it is related, but not really the same.

Bow - hawah, pronouced "hayway"(i think), to prostrate oneself, to bow down, to worship. Denotes an act of respect to one in superior position, and essentially signifies submission!

Worship - abad, pronouced "aybad", to serve, minister, worship, to work, do. Denotes service or work that may be directed towards things. Signifies serving as a slave, or king or ruler.

Now once we put it all out there you can see how they are so different and why the Lord felt the need to say don't just do one, but don't do the other. Oh how i love the Word. Bow is the act of doing it to the idol - worshipping the idol and moving the body in such a way that it is obvious what one is doing. And then worship is like getting up from that bow and asking the idol what can I do for you or how can i serve you or how can i minister to you? See?

Wow, what a clear perspective now. I hate to know that I am caught in that position much more than I care to admit. Lord Jesus forgive me. I know every day throughout the day I bow to too many things and some I have no idea. I am putting my body in a way that signifies to all those around that I love this or that idol and am worshipping it. It reminds me of my old dog, Rebel. When it got down to eating time, he was bowing. You got near his food bowl and he would start growling and showing his teeth. It was obvious to the whole world this was not a time to mess with him, he was bowing and we all knew it! Even in eating how often do i see that in my own life. Oh Lord, break me, break this worship! I want to bow to you only! help!!!

Worship happens in my life as well only seen a bit different. How often do we see moms bowing to their kids and then getting up from that to worship them, serve them in any and every way! I am so so so so so proud of my aerobics ladies. There are many in there with very small kids - even some first children. There is one lady in there with a 7 week old when we started. For her to be able to drop her child off in childcare and then take some time to workout her body - that is to be commended. Many times, especially the first time mom, will refuse to do anything for herself even though it makes her a much better mom. It is a form of worship. I was always guilty of going in the total opposite direction, but this is one thing i saw all too often in Charlotte - the world of stay at home moms and I was one of those only my worship was being on the go!

Oh Lord, teach me!! Help me to listen. I got my scripture cards in yesterday and will be carrying around a few for spiritual reinforcement to break my idols! With all this worship and bowing talk I want to leave with this scripture - it was my mentors memory verse many years ago. Ps. 95:6 "Come let's us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." (That is the same worship that we are talking about, but a different bow down.) My mentor, Rae Deal, could have easily been an idol in my life, but God moved her away from me across the country before that could happen. Both she and I are terrible phone talkers and so it has been a tough split. She is a great letter writer though! I like email!

Lord, may today, not worrying about tomorrow, but today come before you and bow down in worship - I want to kneel before my Maker!! You are worthy! I love you!!