Falling Down

One of my devotional readings this morning was about the transfiguration. It was this passage that caught my mind's attention: "While he was still speaking, behold, a shining cloud [ composed of light] overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is My Son, My Beloved, with Whom I am [and have always been] delighted. Listen to Him! When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were seized with alarm and struck with fear" Matthew 17:5-6 (AMP).

Think about this... during the transfiguration, Jesus is lifted up, shines with an incredible and unearthly light and then, the voice of God speaks out over Him. Whoa. I can really understand why the disciples there to hear it would immediately fall on the ground. And the word "fear" here, as with elsewhere in the Bible, is really used in a way to connote awe and respect. They fell face down in awe.

There was certainly a time in my life (a long one) during which I would not have been able to really relate to this in my heart at all, but I am so grateful to be able to say that in the last couple years, the Lord has worked in my heart with His power, and that I certainly have times now - with some consistency - in which the only response my heart can seem to muster is the urge to fall flat on my face and just be humble before the Lord. These days, I am so often overwhelmed with how good He is, and how amazingly He acts in our lives - in my life. It's incredible.

What I also want to mention though today is that I have very deliberately gotten down on my knees, and yes, on my face (literally!) many times when my heart was not overcome by a desire to fall in reverence. I went through a very difficult season a couple years ago in which I just started getting myself flat on the ground, face down, in an intentional show of reverence. It wasn't a moment of desperate plea, nor was it a moment of "I can't help but fall down and praise you, Lord." Instead, it was, "I don't feel it, but I know You are good; I know You deserve me down flat on my face in reverence and awe, Lord." And I'd do it. Not every day, not even every week probably, but I did it, and I did it regularly.

My point is this: I know not everyone is crazy about the idea of "fake it till you make it", but I can say that my own life has been incredibly impacted by the idea of "acting as if." If I don't feel awe and reverence, but I have a desire to do so, I'd get on my face and act as if I did have that desire. Not in an artificial way, and not without great clarity in my prayers about what my purpose was. I wouldn't pretend to feel something I did, but I'd act how I would have acted if I did feel that particular feeling, and then I'd do it again and again, saying, "This is to show you that I revere You, Lord" or something to that effect. The exact words - and really, words at all - were the least important part. The point was action. I've learned that action is an incredible producer. So, I have learned to act as if I did feel/want/believe/trust something or some way. And I've found that if my intention is true and my action came through, more often than not, I began to find my heart opening up to that feeling. And, as I've shared, I have times in my life - and somewhat regularly - when, truly, my heart just wants to lay flat down on the ground and revere Him and His glory!

Friends, I'm not sure exactly what the "point" is of this post today. I don't love the idea of getting on my computer and telling people how to be or do or anything. I can only share what my experience has been, and I do feel that I was led today to share this way. So, take from it what You will, and I will trust that His leading me to write it will also produce whatever His intention is in it being written. An act of obedience. He is certainly worth to be obeyed. Thanks for being on the journey with me!