and i hide my eyes
And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. ...Now when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:18,22
All through scripture, the Lord talks of his servants with their face to the ground...hidden in a rock...Jehoshaphat, David, Moses, Lot, Joseph, Joshua, Ruth, Nathan, Elijah, Daniel to name a few. In His presence, they hid their eyes, face to the ground.
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26:39
Jesus. Face to the ground.
How great that we can go to a place Jesus was. When you are in a place of complete surrender, where do you find yourself? I love thinking about Jesus at the Last Supper, surrounded by friends and family, instituting the Lord's Supper. As He passes the cup, He knows full well what is going to go down over the next 24 hours. He knows what cup is coming His way. He knows all hell is going to break loose. His loved ones have no clue.
They have no idea He is going to be facedown in the darkness of the garden. Begging for another way, begging for this cup to be taken away. That just wrecks me out. He stays with them at that supper, when he could be alone in the mountains already facedown. But he stayed with the ones he loved. Past the point of pain.
I was thinking about this as I pondered another story from Scripture. When David's child he has with Bathsheba is on his deathbed, David is interceding for this child. Begging God to let him live. Pretty sure he was face to the ground. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 2 Samuel 12:16
Ever been so distraught over something that you fasted and laid all night on the ground? I have. Back to David, I bet everyone around him thought if he is this distraught now, what is going to happen when the child dies as Nathan prophecied? Perhaps they feared he would go mad, kill himself. The servants sure didn't want to tell him.
But when David heard the child was dead, what did he do? Did he throw himself off a high tower?
So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes, and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. 2 Samuel 12:20a
I just absolutely love that. David interceded in some of his darkest moments. David got his answer. Not at all what he wanted. David got up from the ground, and anointed himself. I don't know if there is a psalm that describes this moment. I wonder if was done in silence, his face set like flint, tears in his eyes. His love for God greater than his pain. And he went to the house of the LORD and worshiped. He laid his crowns at the footstool of his Lord.
This has to be our response to trial and suffering. It has to be. No matter what, don't stop declaring that our Lord is FAITHFUL and GOOD. Because Jesus is. He is. And He is looking for a glad and trusting heart that is loyal to the end.
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. Matthew 28:2,3
How is that for getting up from the ground? There is NO ONE LIKE JESUS! And it's beyond amazing that the same power lives in us...in ordinary people who have a yes in their spirit, who will follow Jesus anywhere. How can we not worship Him?
And I hide my eyes
With my face to the ground
In the presence of Your Majesty
And I clap my hands
And I lay my crowns
In the presence of Your Majesty
(from lyrics of God Almighty, Chris Tomlin)
All through scripture, the Lord talks of his servants with their face to the ground...hidden in a rock...Jehoshaphat, David, Moses, Lot, Joseph, Joshua, Ruth, Nathan, Elijah, Daniel to name a few. In His presence, they hid their eyes, face to the ground.
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26:39
Jesus. Face to the ground.
How great that we can go to a place Jesus was. When you are in a place of complete surrender, where do you find yourself? I love thinking about Jesus at the Last Supper, surrounded by friends and family, instituting the Lord's Supper. As He passes the cup, He knows full well what is going to go down over the next 24 hours. He knows what cup is coming His way. He knows all hell is going to break loose. His loved ones have no clue.
They have no idea He is going to be facedown in the darkness of the garden. Begging for another way, begging for this cup to be taken away. That just wrecks me out. He stays with them at that supper, when he could be alone in the mountains already facedown. But he stayed with the ones he loved. Past the point of pain.
I was thinking about this as I pondered another story from Scripture. When David's child he has with Bathsheba is on his deathbed, David is interceding for this child. Begging God to let him live. Pretty sure he was face to the ground. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 2 Samuel 12:16
Ever been so distraught over something that you fasted and laid all night on the ground? I have. Back to David, I bet everyone around him thought if he is this distraught now, what is going to happen when the child dies as Nathan prophecied? Perhaps they feared he would go mad, kill himself. The servants sure didn't want to tell him.
But when David heard the child was dead, what did he do? Did he throw himself off a high tower?
So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes, and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. 2 Samuel 12:20a
I just absolutely love that. David interceded in some of his darkest moments. David got his answer. Not at all what he wanted. David got up from the ground, and anointed himself. I don't know if there is a psalm that describes this moment. I wonder if was done in silence, his face set like flint, tears in his eyes. His love for God greater than his pain. And he went to the house of the LORD and worshiped. He laid his crowns at the footstool of his Lord.
This has to be our response to trial and suffering. It has to be. No matter what, don't stop declaring that our Lord is FAITHFUL and GOOD. Because Jesus is. He is. And He is looking for a glad and trusting heart that is loyal to the end.
And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. Matthew 28:2,3
How is that for getting up from the ground? There is NO ONE LIKE JESUS! And it's beyond amazing that the same power lives in us...in ordinary people who have a yes in their spirit, who will follow Jesus anywhere. How can we not worship Him?
And I hide my eyes
With my face to the ground
In the presence of Your Majesty
And I clap my hands
And I lay my crowns
In the presence of Your Majesty
(from lyrics of God Almighty, Chris Tomlin)