When I Fall On My Knees
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 7:21
Knowing the difference between God’s will and my will reveals the tension between human desire and divine purpose. Martin Luther said we do not have the where-with-all to know God’s will. The longer I live the more I am convinced that Luther is right. The more I try to do God’s will, the more I end up doing it my way. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Romans 7:19
For many years I have walked with hip replacements done the old-fashioned way. If you bend your hips a certain way, the ball could pop out of the socket. One could say I walk in fear, painlessly.
Walking has always been a challenge for me. “I’ll Walk with God” is a famous sacred song with music by Nicholas Brodszky and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster, written for the 1954 film The Student Prince and popularized by tenor Mario Lanza. Its opening lines express a humble prayer for faith and divine guidance.
Beyond walking is the ability to see. I have always been humbled by the presence of those that are blind. The blind Christian hymn writer, Fanny Crosby (1820–1915), wrote more than 8,000 hymns despite losing her sight as an infant.
I think of the ways we live our lives, blind to the power of sin. In effect, the Word of God tells me that I must die in order that I might see Jesus. In the book of Revelation John writes about his experience of seeing Jesus. “His face was like the sun shining in full strength.” Revelation 1:16 Nancy Guthrie writes in her book, BLESSED that this is the same radiance Moses was exposed to so that the people couldn’t look at him.
Aaron referred to this same radiance. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. Numbers 6:25 John writes When I saw Him I fell at His feet as though dead. The apostle John writes this after he sees a powerful vision of the glorified Jesus Christ. Overwhelmed by this incredible sight and holy glory, John falls down like a dead man.
Guthrie writes that this wasn’t the only time John saw the radiance of Jesus. Matthew writes of the transfiguration of Jesus.And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. . . the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear.But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” Matthew 17:2-7
“When Isaiah saw the Lord he said, ‘Woe is me.’ To fall at the feet of Jesus is to come to the place where Jesus is all that matters.” P 56, BLESSED Nancy Guthrie.
The Word of God tells me that I must die that Christ may live in me. Paul puts it this way. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 3:20
When we die, it has become the custom for friends to gather and celebrate the deceased. The greater celebration is that the deceased has left the legacy that Jesus is all that matters. We walk daily in hope, spiritually anchored in God’s eternal promises, looking past our temporary earthly accomplishments, to a life in Christ that transcends the physical lives we live. It brings us peace in hard times. And believe me, we are living lives politically, socially and culturally that assail us. By faith will live in times like where we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.2 Corinthians 3:18
These many years wherein I have dreaded falling, there is something about falling on one’s knees, literally that changes one into being Christ-like every day. Though the opinions of others concerning us matters, honestly and truly it is only Jesus who matters.
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
