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.
Psalm 95:6-7a NASB
One of my favorite worship songs, Come, Let Us Bow Down, was received on August 5, 1990. There are many reasons I love this song, but I especially love the story behind the song and how the truths expressed in the song still affect my life. Here is what I wrote about the song when I first received it:
I often think about the blood of Christ and its purpose in our lives as believers whenever I approach a worship time. If not for the blood of Christ, life would be futile and void of meaning. The blood of Christ was on my mind when I received this song. The sacrificial blood made a way for me when there was no way. The cleansing blood of Christ washed away the guilt and stains of my selfishness and sin. The life-giving blood of Christ made a way for me to live free from performance, when I was used to trying to please God and men through my service. When faced with the reality and truth of the power of Christ’s blood and sacrifice for me, I cannot help but bow down in worship and gratitude for all He has done, for who He is in my life….and who He has called me to be….this song came through meditation on these truths.
Remember the events that took place on Sunday after the crucifixion of Christ?
Mat 28:1 NASB - Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first [day] of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
Mat 28:2 NASB - And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
Mat 28:3 NASB - And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
Mat 28:4 NASB - The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
Mat 28:5 NASB - The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
Mat 28:6 NASB - "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
Mat 28:7 NASB - "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."
Mat 28:8 NASB - And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.
Mat 28:9 NASB - And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
They bowed down at the feet of the risen Savior and did what? They worshipped Him.
Let us never lose sight of the wonder-working power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. After all, Hebrews 9:22 in the NASB says, “…without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Jesus shed His blood to seal the covenant between man and God, extending to us the possibility of redemption and eternal life.
Let us never lose sight of the cross of Christ where every single sin we would ever commit was nailed there with Him. Let us bow before the cross of Christ and remember the redeeming work of love and salvation performed there by our Redeemer.
And finally, let us never lose sight of the fact that we are never ever alone, regardless of our circumstances. Regardless of our feelings. Regardless of our suffering. Regardless of our temptations. Regardless of the wisdom of man. We have been granted the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the lies and darkness of the enemy…and that, through Jesus, we have direct access to the Father and can come before Him boldly no matter what.
Let us bow before the Lord our Maker in all we say, think, and do as we seek first the kingdom by seeking first the King!
Dennis Jernigan
To listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast version of this teaching and to hear the song, Come, Let Us Bow Down, go to http://podcast.dennisjernigan.com/e/come-let-us-bow-down/