Face-Plant Worship

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:  “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.  The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”  (Job 1:20-21, NIV)

As many times as I have read this passage, it hit me fresh today.  Previously I have focused on the gracious and humble words Job said.  This time I am seeing what Job did.

Job was grieving the sudden and unexpected loss of his fortune, his servants and his ten children.   He tore his robe and shaved his head in grief, but he didn’t fall to the ground in grief.  He fell to the ground in worship.

Job felt the need to worship God in the most undignified, humiliating, vulnerable posture.  Gratefully acknowledging that all he had once possessed had been provided to him by God.  Humbly admitting that God has the sovereign right to take away what He gives.  May the name of Jehovah Jireh, God the Provider, and Adonai, God the Master, be praised.

The true humility and utter gratitude of this act catches my heart.

When is the last time I fell to the ground in worship?   Truthfully, I don’t think I have EVER.  I raise my face and hands to Heaven when I praise.  I bow my head out of reverence when I pray, but that is a far cry from Job's purposeful, worshipful face-plant.

Which then begs the question, why not?  When I worship in community, well…quite frankly, my fellow worshipers would call for an ambulance.  Embarrassment aside, another reason is that I have never felt the need. 

WHAT?  As blessed as I am, I have never felt the desire to give honest gratitude to My Provider and humble myself before My Sovereign Master?

Maybe it’s time to change that.

If you need me, I'll be on the floor.  Feel free to join me.