 |
| Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash |
Thus
says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
and
the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you
would build for me,
and
what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made,
and
so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I
will look:
he
who is humble and contrite in spirit
and
trembles at my word. (vv.1-2)
As
humans, we tend to be impressed by great buildings and monuments to our accomplishments.
Here God says that even the greatest building (the Temple) cannot compare to
what he has made in the act of creation. Anything we have built is ultimately dependent upon what God has done
anyway. The encouraging part is in verse 2 when God reveals what captures his
attention and what brings him near.
But this
is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
God is paradoxically drawn to those who are “humble and
contrite in spirit” for life in God’s love is not about our impressing him with
our "great" accomplishments but about our humble yet eager response to his presence with
us. Do we tremble at his word? Are we quick to respond, or are we like those
who reject both God’s word and God’s people?
 |
| Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash |
Hear
the word of the Lord,
you who
tremble at his word:
“Your brothers who hate you
and
cast you out for my name's sake
have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified,
that
we may see your joy’;
but
it is they who shall be put to shame. (v.5)
While in this life, the humble may be rejected and mocked by influencers and instructors they will not be rejected nor distanced from the
Lord and in the end, the Lord will render to the mockers and trolls their recompense (v.6) while
the humble will be filled with joy!
This passage reminds me of an incident from the ministry of Jesus that is recorded for us in John 9. It tells us about the fallout from a miracle...of a time when Jesus healed a man who had been born blind. After the healing, because its timing violated the Pharisee's interpretation of the sabbath rules, the man was repeatedly questioned by the Pharisees. Finally they "cast him out" when his insightful responses hit
too close to home. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. Jesus heard about it and
went to find the formerly blind man who had been banished by the religious leaders. It was then that the man’s eyes were opened to believe
in Jesus—he was able to see spiritually as well as physically! It is in the hard times
that Jesus invites us to believe in him, to trust him enough to cast our cares/anxieties
on him and he will exalt us as he draws us close!
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the
mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your
anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
Today, as I humble my heart before the Lord, I will remember
that he is near and that he is for me. He sees my situation; he loves me
anyway. He does not require, or desire sacrifices but only a humble heart that
longs to obey. When I read the Bible today, I will lean into the tremble,
the challenge, and the wonder of what God has said!
O Lord, you know my weaknesses and my failures, and yet as I
am humble before your presence and your word, you look to me like I was a great
building. You do not come to me because I am sanctified and lifted up, but the
opposite. You sanctify me and lift me up because you have come near because you
have brought it to pass. Thank you for your love and the transformation you
bring! Cause me to care more for the humble and contrite in spirit than for the supposedly great works of human pride.
