Let Us Stoop Down
Psalm
95 is an invitation to come before God and worship Him. Sadly, the meaning of the word “worship” has been degraded over many
generations. In our day, it has come to mean “that portion of our church service
where we sing songs together.” In many churches, you will hear the pastor say
something like, “let’s worship,” as the musicians start into the melody and lyrics
of a song for the congregation to sing. But worship is more than a “sing-along.”
Way more!
The
original Hebrew word for “worship” used in verse 5 is, “Šāhâ.” This word literally means “to stoop
down.” In verses 5 & 6, we are
exhorted to bow down and prostrate ourselves as an act of reverence and worship
to our Creator. By this act of stooping down, we are expressing the superiority
of the One to whom we bow. Yes, this stooping down can be done with song. But
it can also be done in complete silence. In reality, worship is not an
expression of our voices, it is an expression our soul declaring the worthiness
of our God. By our bowed hearts, we are acknowledging the glory and greatness
of our Creator.
Why should we worship
Him? This Psalm gives us several reasons as the basis of our bowed hearts.
First, because He is great – “For
the Lord is a great God” (V3). The word “great” means to be massively
large in magnitude, extent, intensity, and importance. We stoop down to God
because He is enormously great. Second,
because no one compares to Him – He is “a great King above all gods” (V3). People
worship many so-called “gods,” but not one of them is the true and living God.
There is only one true God – and nothing compares to Him. He alone is worthy of
our worship. Third, we worship Him because of His creative and sustaining power
– “In his hand are the depths of
the earth… his hands formed the dry land” (V5). It
is right to bow down to the One who made the universe and who sustains it with the
might of His power. Finally, we worship Him because He is our Great Shepherd – “we
are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand” (V7). This mighty and
great Creator with vast and endless power is the very One who cares for us with
His deep love – as a shepherd cares for his sheep. For these reasons, and more,
we stoop down before Him with our heartfelt expressions of worship.
So, today if you hear His voice – don’t harden your
heart! Instead, turn your heart toward Him and stoop down in His presence. He
is a great God and worthy of your worship!
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