A contrite spirit

Bible Reading: Isaiah 64-66

Isaiah 66:1-2 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

How do you get the attention of the Lord? The house of worship that Israel made was constructed as a house of prayer. However, the people had degraded in their devotion to God. They were going through the motions. They did religious things, but their hearts were far from God. Because of this, he was not impressed.

God is never impressed with our outward religious rituals. Our church going and sacrificial giving means little if it is not an outward show of the inward reality of God's love transforming our lives.

However, there is a person that God will look to. It is the person who is in the transformation process. The poor in spirit is the blessed man.

Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The broken heart is what God is looking for. David knew this and his prayer of confession to God helps us understand that God is looking at our hearts.

Psalms 51:16-17 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it:
thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

God is looking for the person who trembles at the Word of God. When was the last time that you read your Bible and trembled as you thought of the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man?

We get the attention of the Lord when we are genuine in our love for him. When his Word breaks our hearts and the poverty of spirit that we have makes us realize our desperate need of Jesus. Our own sin should break our hearts and the sin of our world should break it as well. Do you tremble at the thought of hell? I am not saying a believer in Jesus should fear going to hell. I am saying we should tremble at the thought of those who do not know Jesus going there.

Jesus said:

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

That makes me tremble. How 'bout you?

In Christ,
Rody