knees to the earth

God has a way of taking me off at the knees sometimes.

Today was one of the sometimes, where the goodness He showered on me was so unexpected, and so generous, I could only say in response, "LORD, I'm so unworthy."

What is an appropriate response, anyway?  When words just don't properly express your gratitude?

Throughout the scriptures, acceptable and pleasing acts of worship occurred in a variety of ways: shouting and clapping; standing and lifting of hands; lying prostrate on the ground.

One of the Hebrew words for worship that's used commonly in the Old Testament is shachah, and it means "to bow down."  Psalm 95:6 perfectly illustrates that posture: "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."

I don't know if it's this way in your place of worship, but we don't usually sit when we sing, when we offer our physical praise to God.  (And for the record, that's all fine and good.  God's certainly honored when we stand in reverence.)

Sometimes, though, His holiness and perfection generate a gravity intended to pull us to our knees, to humble us where we can only say, "LORD, I'm unworthy of Your love and generosity, but I accept You and all that You are."

That's when we worship with our knees to the earth.  And that's an appropriate response when we feel unworthy of His goodness.

Beautiful Jesus
How may I bless Your heart?
Knees to the earth
I bow down to everything You are
Beautiful Jesus
You are my only worth
So I will embrace You always
As I walk this earth
 -- "Knees to the Earth", Watermark