This year I’m reading through the ‘New Spirit Filled Life Bible’ translation. There are so many great versions of the Bible. I love reading all the commentaries from each one. In Psalm 99:5 it says,
“Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool-—He is holy.”
In a commentary box in this Bible translation, it points out that worship, shachah, means to bow, to stoop. The primary meaning is “to make oneself low.” What a great picture.
Was meditating on that picture of humbling ourselves before God. Worship is an attitude of reverence from our hearts.
On the next page there is a commentary box about praise, tehillah. Praise is a word that means a celebration, a lauding of someone praise worthy, the praise or exaltation of God.
Praise is celebrating and exalting God, where worship is coming before Him with a humble, bowed down spirit. Look at all the references in Scripture of falling and bowing down before God. That’s worship. Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes in Acts 14 when the people of Lystra tried to worship them.
Worship is reserved for God alone. It’s OK to praise fellow workers, pastors, and your friends. It’s good to praise God for making them too. But we are never to worship anything or anyone but God.
I love the picture that the ground is flat at the foot of the cross. Jesus alone is to be exalted above every name, every person. It even says in Scripture that every knee will bow at the Name of Jesus.
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