“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’”
Romans 14:11

The last couple of weeks, we’ve had the joy of spending time with our daughters and 6 of our grandkids, a week of which was at the beach.  It was interesting to see how sure a 3 year old was that he didn’t need inflatable wings on his arms because the waves weren’t going to knock him down…until they did!   Huh, maybe Mommy was right and I should trust her.

Children and young people grow up learning to trust the word of certain adults, depending on how consistent those adults have been in following through on their words in the past. In Isaiah 55:10-11, the prophet quotes God’s promise that His Word will never fail to accomplish its intent. 

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

This means that God and His words are completely trustworthy.

When speaking of eternity, every human being will someday bow before God and acknowledge Him. How do we know that?  Because God said it, it will absolutely happen. He said it in Isaiah 45:23,24, referring to all who rage against Him:  

            By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.’” All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame.

Then the apostle Paul repeated this promise twice in his epistles—with two different applications. In Romans 14:11, the promise is directed toward Christians: Don’t judge others because everyone will one day be judged by God. But in Philippians 2:9-11, the promise covers all humanity: God exalted Christ over all, and one day all will acknowledge His Lordship; all will bow the knee before Him, willingly or unwillingly.

Far better to bow before Christ today willingly than to bow unwillingly in the future. 

When we see even a small glimpse of God’s holiness, we will bow in worship.
            – R. C. Sproul