Human Response 416: Fall on Face and Confess the Lord

1 Kings 18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

The dramatic miracle of fire from heaven caused the witnesses to believe, confess, and worship the one true Lord and God. The Lord showing up amazed and surprised the people to draw forth the physical response of worship; they fell on their faces and confessed the Lord as God. The prone posture of worship is a common response in the Bible to the appearance of God, or even an angel. When the Lord so obviously appears, falling down in worship is the natural response.

We are over-awed and overcome in the presence of God when we experience Him first-hand. When the Holy Spirit convicts the heart through the word of Law and Gospel every Sunday, in our minds we assume the falling on our face position, signifying simple faith, penitent humility, utter thankfulness, and complete adoration. Whether we feel it or not, this what is really going on in the spirit.

Many things convict us of the reality and love of God. Our experiences of God may not be as dramatic as with Elijah, but just as real. God will make resources available to us in creative ways. He will give us wisdom to raise a family, the courage to stand up for truth, and the means to provide help for others. He will provide what we need to carry out His commands. In our daily life falling on our face in response to the Gospel happens quite often. We say, God is here!