Isaiah 66:1-2 - This is what the LORD says: "Heaven is my
throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the
house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is
the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and
trembles at my word.
Isaiah’s last chapter tells us one more time just how
important it is to search for God…to provide for him a place to rest. God could care less about the grandeur of the
spot we pick….he is more concerned about the attitude with which we pick
it. God created the world…the grandest
mountain…and the lowliest single grain of dirt. Man couldn’t possibly build
anything grand enough for God’ glory…so he wants us to purify the heart within
us….so he can see our humility.
Throughout history God has picked the lowliest of people to
be his greatest servants. He chose Noah….to
build a boat so mankind could survive the destruction of the earth by
flood. He chose the youngest son of Jesse…the simple
shepherd boy David…to become a king with a heart like God. He chose the
murderer Saul….and changed his named to Paul after he cleaned out the confusion
in his heart.
One thing that really speaks to my heart is that he loved
these people completely….never leaving them even when they messed up. He used
their humility to convict them of their sin…so he could clean them up again…and
use them to do even greater work than before.
God even loved us so much that he sent his only son to die
for our sins and provide all of us a way to meet him. He son was so humble that
he was able to walk for 33 years on this earth with no mistakes. The key to his
power is recorded in Philippians 2:5-8…. “In your relationships with one
another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus….. “ Who, being
in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to
his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature
of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance
as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even
death on a cross!”
It’s not a complicated thing…it’s a simple thing. Seek
humility…and find God. Accept humility…and
believe in God. Maintain humility…and God can live inside me
and give me the power to do everything he asks me to do.
I am beginning to understand Paul’s writing’s more and more
these days….especially the ones that talk about how he was nothing. He boasted
only in his weaknesses….so that God would be able to give him the power to
accomplish the hard work he was given to do. He maintained humility…and even
accepted a ‘thorn in his flesh’…that tormented him… but also helped to keep
pride from erasing the concept of humility from his heart.
Father…thank you for allowing someone to record Isaiah’s
great words in the Bible. Thank you for
using him to help remind me of my need to be humble. Forgive me for taking so long to agree with
Paul…and start to understand the power that humility can give me to love myself…so
I can love others like you do. Help me
to keep purging the things out of my life that cause pride to seep in…and ruin
the progress I am making being your servant.
Show me how to truly be content in all things…no matter what. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment