Deuteronomy  6:13  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve Him, and shalt swear by His name.  (KJV)

This is a command.  No if’s, and’s, or buts.  YOU WILL!  Romans 14:11 reads:  It is written:  As surely as I live, says the LORD, “every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.”

Isaiah 45:23  By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked:  Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.

Philippians 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

I have a regret as a mom.  Well, one of many to be clear, but this regret is huge to me.  I failed to teach my children to bow their knees in prayer.  I tucked them in all nice and snug in their warm beds, face up, to say their bedtime prayers.  Jesus knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane in obedience to the Father.  We in America bow to no one. Pride, strength, honor as a citizen in the United States is one thing, but it has no place in our relationship to Jehovah.  

What will it take to drive our nation to our knees before holy God?  Or me?  What will be required to have us/me face in the dirt desperate for God?  I shudder to think.

I remember as a little girl kneeling beside my bed, hands clasped, eyes closed, reciting, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the LORD my soul to keep.  If I should die before I wake, I pray the LORD my soul to take.”  As I write these words the impact of their meaning slaps me awake.  A small child acknowledging death’s ever present possibility and need for soul care from the LORD.  Every. Single. Night.

I missed a beautiful opportunity to teach and practice humility and a deep reverence of God to my sweet babies.  Father, forgive me!

I could excuse this by saying I wanted prayer to be a sweet experience, to feel good and not fearful, to make it relational.  But, in this relationship one must keep in mind deep respect is required to approach the throne of grace.  God is not a personal heavenly Santa to an entitled brat.  He is a Father who loves, provides, teaches, and disciplines.  He is not moved by temper tantrums, nagging, begging, or coercion.  Does not affect Him at all!  What moves His heart are the cries of His obedient child.  To those He will RUN to rescue.  He promised!

Deuteronomy 5:29 God wrote:  “O that there were such an heart in them; that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their children forever;” and  Deuteronomy 6:24 Moses wrote: “And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.”  This is a heads up to all parents and grandparents.  Who among us does not want it “to be well” with our children?  We will do for them what we will not do for ourselves. The LORD is saying to us if you have a heart that puts Him first, keeps His commandments, honors Him, follows Him (the definition of fear of the LORD) then it will be well with our children FOREVER!  Is this not our desire?  The bonus for this ‘ole girl is this:  It will be well with me too!!  The kicker is the word always.  

It is a lifestyle.  Day in, day out.  Every day regardless of circumstances.  It is a heart issue, a choice, a commitment:  Fear of the LORD.  It does not get any clearer than this.  May we bow our knees in honor and humility to our Great God.   Thank you, Father for your patience and amazing grace.

The Lord’s Prayer by Charlotte Church

Kneeling in His Presence,

Kneel by the Akins  

To hum through your day!!!

Yvonne