What an Experience!
Getting Facedown
I was recently in a Bible
Study by Beth Moore on the Psalms of Ascent (120-134). At the outset, we were
given an exercise. When we came to our time of study we were to get down,
prone, with our face to the floor. The main idea of ascent is that we are on a
journey UP so to begin we would need to get DOWN. I Peter 5:6 says, “Humble
yourselves therefore under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due
time” (NIV). As Beth Moore said, “In
God’s economy, the way up is down” (Stepping Up, p.12).
The first time I tried this, I found it
affected me much more than I expected it to.
Aside from the part where the carpet itched my nose and I kept thinking
“Allergy Alert!” the thoughts that came to me from the Lord were profound. I felt that everything in the world around
me, every concern, and every control issue over my family was finally, totally
in His hands. The vision was like those time-enhanced images of clouds speeding
by overhead. I saw the activities of daily life speeding by above me--going on
without me--accomplished and carried out by God. This was so freeing.
So many times in my life
since my three children have been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, I have felt
that “If I don’t do it, it just won’t get done.” In even harder times that
complaint coming out of my mouth sounded like “Why does it always have to be me
that remembers to bring the extra candy for when they are low or the pack of
testing strips and supplies, etc.? Do I have to do everything?” But the beauty of getting prone before God
was that I could see how He was bearing the burden. I was not “having to do
everything” for I was on the ground, on my face. What could I do? He must do
all. Yes.
Then I took it a step
further and realized that it is always true that God carries out His plans to
fruition. Even when I am on my feet and participating in my daily life, I can
remember as I bow before Him in submission everything will be accomplished as
He desires. Psalm 123 talks about lifting our eyes to our master and it is in
anticipation of His mercy, approval, and action. He will lift us up.
The second time I
approached the act it was more the aspect of exercise that came to me. Like
Dallas Willard (Spirit of the Disciplines) and others before me I have always
agreed that spiritual discipline is just like the discipline of sports
training. You drill and practice so that when you’re in the “Big Game”
everything comes to you like second nature, with muscle memory, you almost
don’t even have to think and your body does the work. So also when we pray,
kneel, study and memorize Scripture it becomes second nature so that in life
when we are called upon to use those spiritual muscles we will be ready.
I found the same principle in effect here with
bowing down and humbling myself. As I grew more comfortable with getting on my
face, I found that it was more natural as well for me to be submissive to the
Lord and others in my daily life. Here in I Peter 5:5 it says to “clothe
yourselves in humility one with another.” (NIV) I thought, “It will not be so
hard to have humility in this or that situation, I have already been on my
face!”
The third picture that
bowing down brought to mind was the Spiritual warfare that goes on above us as
we are facedown. It is always there, always raging, but as I got down I saw it
more clearly. By getting down on my face I am affirming my faith that God will
prevail and I am inviting Him to do so. Verse 8 of this passage says
"...the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to
devour..." Our hidden enemy cannot use us against ourselves when we are
choosing to submit to what God will do. We are getting ourselves out of the way
and letting God vanquish our foe. When we lay down in submission to God we deny
the devil another chance at a foothold in our lives. It is far from passive. It
is a choice and when we make it we can see how powerful a move it is. “The way
up is down!” Indeed.
References
Holy Bible, New International Version,
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.
Moore, Beth. Stepping Up, Nashville TN
Willard, Dallas. The Spirit of the Disciplines,
San Francisco , CA
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