"The high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy ... dwell[s] in the high and holy place," says Isaiah (57:15). How could you or I ever make contact with Him when He is so apparently inaccessible?
Then--wonder of wonders! He tells us where we can find access to Him: "I dwell ... with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." Would you like to meet this High and Holy One? Okay, get acquainted with someone whose spirit is contrite and humble--maybe in your office or workplace, or there might be some such student at your school.
The Lord has His home there with such a person. Don't let yourself be fooled; it might turn out to be the janitor. Ignore or despise him/her and you end up treating Christ like His people did long ago.
And perhaps you are the person who is of a humble spirit and you find yourself being battered in subtle ways in our modern cultural barnyard. The Bible assures us that if there is anywhere someone who does indeed follow in the footsteps of Jesus, that person is bound to suffer some kind of abuse from his/her fellowmen (ponder 2 Tim. 3:12).
What really hurts is when that cultural barnyard turns out to be your church (that can happen!). When it does, we are driven back to Isaiah 57: "I dwell ... with him also … of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." The idea of the word is to "make alive," almost to resurrect. The word "spirit" has a small s--means the source of your own personality, the real you. You have something that keeps you happy and sweet even when you are abused.
Isaiah makes the point more clear in chapter 66: "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. ... But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word" (vss. 1, 2). It's the "trembling at [His] word" that makes God feel at home to "dwell" with you, not "trembling" in the sense of terror, but to be thrilled with delight in reading His word. Use your new day to get better acquainted with Him!
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: February 23, 2003.
Copyright © 2010 by Robert J. Wieland.
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