Let us kneel before the Lord

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;” (Psalm 95:6)

 

Without faith in God the Creator, everything in the life of faith cannot be established properly. That means God’s creation is the basis of every existence, faith, and thought. Singing to the Lord and shouting of joy toward Him who is the Rock of salvation must be also performed on the faith in God’s creation. Loving or thanking is the same as such the cases are, too. And the Lord who created men raises and cares for them. In order to make men grow well, God gives continuous teachings after He called them. A selfish stubborn life, against listening to God’s voice, hinders not to stay oneself within the holy rest. That’s the reality and the reason why people cannot live in peace.

 

The World Health Organization, WHO said in August 2020 that the situation of the COVID-19 would last at least two years. Then the pandemic disease will not end until at least the end of 2021. However, that announcement by WHO has no any warranty, and furthermore, given the present situation of uncertainty, it is likely to give continuous suffering for above two years. Due to this situation, negative prospects, not only in the economy but also in politics and culture, make people feel gloomy. Sometimes there may be any attempts to encourage hope for people. But wouldn’t there any permanent way to solve that positively?

The hope that “There is a way out of every situation, however bad.” is needed first for all of us. Because if we work hard with expectations and courage, we will find a solution someday without fail. When Jesus crucified, His disciples hid themselves because of deep despair and fear. Then the resurrected Jesus appeared and said to them, as in John 20:21~22; “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. ~ Receive the Holy Spirit.” Jesus there proclaimed them to have peace, mission, and Holy Spirit to the disciples thrown in the midst of despair. Even in the midst of difficult conditions, what Christians must surely prepare for are the spirit of peace, the conviction of mission, and the accompanying with the Holy Spirit. By preparing certainly those ones, we can stand firm even in an extreme case of difficulties like the collapse of the sky.

If you receive Jesus in the Holy Spirit, you will be able to maintain a peaceful life. The reason why your spirit was not in peace even though you knew it by reason was because you were either genuinely unbelieved or because your spirit were occupied by Satan. Judas Iscariot had to be always in anxiety because he tried to steal as the person who was in charge of the money ark. Moreover he tried to sell off his own teacher, he thus could never have a peaceful mind. He had get an honorable blessing as one of the disciples of Jesus the Lord, but unfortunately his soul had already been deprived by Satan. Therefore his ending was a poor death of tragedy. People who live singing of the Lord of creation and salvation are the happy and peaceful men. And those who are sure of their mission cannot be despaired or become weak. This is a desirable position for us to take in these days of instability.

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker,” let us put this verse into practice. Because of illness and economic difficulties, around the people always complain and resent others in every opportunity. And most of their finger pointing is directed at others. Everyone seems try to blame others in any ways. Moreover, church members are taking the lead in raising complaints and causing social chaos and collapse. However, it is not desirable at all to do so. We must kneel in the name of Jesus Christ by looking back on oneself, and worship God with performing true repentance. If we cannot have meetings of a large number because of concerns about the spread of the disease, it will be a good way also to have worship with few members, following the quarantine rules. For that, it will be good for pastors to have ten times’ efforts instead of one time, for the time of emergency like today. Then I believe the Holy Spirit will surely be with us at the worship.

 

God hit the church with the whip of punishment. Something, someone has done something wrong, so God the Lord judges in due course, it is fact. Even so, there is none of reasons for us to be afraid of that. As we have done until now, we only need to confess oneself and obey in God. If we truly kneel really before the Lord, there is nothing that cannot be solved. And no matter how He lead my future, my life will be of gratitude and joy in the grace of Christ.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on Sep 20th 2020)