Enter His rest
Oh 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, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness. ~ Psalms 95:6-8
There are times in my life when I sense the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit, yet I hesitate to follow. There are several reasons why such as feeling like it is inconvenient, uncomfortable, or even frightening. At times, fear of embarrassment or persecution may cause me to resist. However, now I’ve come to recognize the danger of saying no to His direction: not only do I miss the blessings on the other side of taking a step of faith, but my heart is at risk of being hardened. Each refusal makes it easier to resist His voice in my heart, until eventually, I may no longer recognize it at all.
In those moments of hesitation, I remember this passage in Psalms 95 that reminds me of how the Israelite’s hearts were hardened when they refused to follow God’s direction to enter their promised land. Even though they wanted the blessing of having their own homeland, they were unwilling to believe God’s word to them that He would go with them to take the land as their own. The result was rebellion and hardness of heart.
This Psalm tells us the secret of not letting your heart become hard. The key is worship and surrender to remember God’s glory and majesty. These verses calls us to bow down, both physically and spiritually, as a declaration of love, submission, and trust because after all, He is the only One worthy of our worship and surrendering to Him is where we can live in the blessings of His peace and protection.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. ~ Psalm 95:6
The act of bowing is not merely physical but it is the outward expression of our inward reality displaying that our hearts are fully yielded to the Lordship of our God and Father.
In biblical times, bowing was more than a gesture; it proclaimed that “He is God, and I am not.” It engaged the body, mind, and soul in an act of complete surrender and reverence.
We see this vividly in the story of Jesus’ birth. After the shepherds heard the angel’s announcement, they rushed to the manger and worshiped Him. The wise men, traveled from a distant lands to bring costly gifts and bowed down in awe before the child Savior (Matthew 2:10-11). These acts of worship were born out of a recognition of who Jesus is, even in His infancy. If they, with their limited understanding, knew to bow before Him, how much more should we bow today, knowing the fullness of His life, death, and resurrection and provision for our salvation?
Psalm 95 connects bowing with an important warning:
Today, if you will hear His voice: Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness. ~ Psalm 95:7-8
When we resist bowing to Him, both physically and spiritually, we risk the same hardened hearts as the Israelites in the wilderness. Even after seeing God’s miraculous provision and guidance, they doubted, rebelled, and turned away. Their refusal to submit led to a separation from God and they turned away to head in a direction away from His blessings.
Ignoring God’s leading hardens our hearts over time. Each act of disobedience distances us from His inner leading, making it increasingly difficult to hear and respond to Him. It is a deception the weakens our relationship and desire for His purpose in our lives.
In our culture today, bowing has often been replaced by other expressions, such as singing, raising hands, or quiet reflection. Even though these acts are meaningful, they can cannot take the place of the significance of bowing, a posture that uniquely gives honor and glory to our Lord.
Because physical displays of humility, like bowing, are less common today they can feel out of place or uncomfortable. Since we have become more independent in today’s world, it makes submission and dependence on God harder to receive. Many believers even view bowing as an old fashioned tradition rather than a vital act of worship.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. ~ James 4:8
Bowing down is an act of drawing near. It is a physical declaration of trust and surrender, especially in the wilderness seasons.
Below are some practical steps you can take to begin cultivating a heart of humility and surrender by bowing down:
- Restore the Physical Act: In personal worship, kneel or bow as a sign of humility and surrender, letting your body come into agreement with your heart.
- Examine Your Heart: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas where pride or fear may have hardened your heart. Confess and ask Him to help you to surrender the areas He reveals to you.
- Follow the Example of the Shepherds and Wise Men: Worship Jesus with awe and reverence, offering your very best in surrender.
- Press into Worship: Resist the urge to retreat during trials; instead, press into His presence through prayer, Scripture, and worship.
- Remember His Faithfulness: Write down the ways God has worked in your life, allowing thankfulness to keep your heart tender.
Today I want to encourage you to remember Psalm 95 is more than a song of praise, it’s an invitation to enter God’s rest through worship and surrender. Bowing down is a reminder of our dependence on Him and a way to keep our hearts soft and responsive to His inner voice. Verse 7 declares: For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.
Kneel before the Shepherd, trusting His care and submitting to His will. Like the shepherds and wise men, rediscover the profound beauty of bowing down in body, heart, and spirit. Through this act that allows us to draw closer to our Creator, we will find rest in His presence and joy in His glory.
Today’s scripture reading: Psalms 95
1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work.
10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
The Daily Dose 