Today's Reading:
- Psalm 80:1 - 80:19
- Psalm 81:1 - 81:16
Psalms 80 & 81
These two psalms are psalms of Asaph. In the first psalm, Asaph implores the Lord to turn back to his people. Asaph vows that his people will never abandon the Lord again once they are rescued.
I can't imagine what life would be like if the Lord abandoned me. The thought of living without the Lord is simply devastating. As someone who falls far from grace, I should pay more attention to showing the Lord how much I love him. Being more righteous. Obeying God's laws. I thank you, Lord, for embracing me even through all my faults, through all the things that separate myself from you. All I can say is thank you, Lord. Amen.
In Psalm 81, the people were told what they need to do when the Lord does turn back to them. The people would need to stay away from foreign gods and not bow down to worship a false god.
The statement that the people shall not bow before a false god really has me thinking. Is it okay to bow (as in a bend of the knee, not an upper body nod) before anyone at all? I recall reading a verse in Exodus, and I think I shrugged it off at the time because I was writing about all the ten commandments, so I was trying to do an overview. Here is the verse:
Exodus 20:4-5 You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.This verse says you must not bow down OR worship them. It seems that the two are mutually exclusive and that bowing, even if not intended for worship, is a sin. It's funny how little I've ever thought about topics like bowing, yet all it takes is a random bible verse to spark an interest in me. Something that was insignificant before suddenly became entirely relevant, and I was forced to form an instant stance on the subject. That's the bible for you - the most phenomenal book of all time!
