“This is what the Lord says: ‘Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Could you build Me a temple as good as that? Could you build Me such a resting place? My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are Mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at My word.’” (Isaiah 66:1-2 NLT)
Would you like the Lord to bless you? What’s it worth to you?
It’s no accident that the verses above begin with God’s explanation of who He is as Owner and Ruler of everything He created – including you and me. There’s nothing we can do to make God’s life any better or any worse, but there’s a lot He can do to benefit us.
There’s a part of us, as human beings, that have this sometimes-subtle expectation, whether we’ve submitted to His authority or not, that God owes us. By virtue of our existence, we believe our lives should be better than they are. And the irony is, it doesn’t matter if our annual income is 10 thousand dollars or 10 million.
When we get a cold or flu, we feel abused, as if God is punishing us, even if that’s the only time we give Him a thought. And it seems it’s compounded when we profess faith in Him. It’s as if our expectations increase; God’s debt to us really climbs after we profess faith in Him. Yes, of course, I’m exaggerating, but, unfortunately, not by much.
Think with me about the 12 disciples in a couple of scenarios – first, in the boat when the winds and waves were threatening. They awakened their Master with these words: “Teacher, don’t You care that we’re going to drown?” Might they have said: “Master, wake up! We’re fearing You might drown.” Where was the center of their primary concern? Yep, same as ours – themselves.
Then I think of the feeding of the five thousand men and their families. Who initiated the inquiry about eating? The disciples did, but in what context? The disciples’ plan was to send to everyone home hungry, but Jesus said to them: “That isn’t necessary – you feed them.” And immediately, rather than saying: “Okay, Lord, what’s Your plan?” They looked at their measly five loaves and two fish and concluded, it’s not enough!
“Little is much when God is in it!” It doesn’t matter the size of the need as long as you’re comparing it to the size of your Savior. So, who does God look upon with favor? The word that’s translated “humble” in the verse above, can also be translated “poor, weak, afflicted, needy.” The implication to me is, the less we have the more dependent we are on the Lord, but that’s not always the case, is it?
Humility isn’t tied to income any more than being contrite or respectful in the presence of Jesus or His written Word. These qualities have more to do with the posture of our heart than the position of our bank ledger. It has more to do with how we view God than how we view ourselves.
God favors those who see their need of Him, value His friendship, and depend on His blessing. Blessing and love are two separate categories of concern. God loves everyone equally; He has no favorites, but He blesses those whose heart and mind are in tune with His. He doesn’t waste His blessings on discontents, complainers, and those who have no regard for His authority.
And, yes, I’m aware that His sun shines on the just and the unjust, but that’s not what the verses above are talking about. I believe Isaiah has heard the Lord declare to whom His heart is bent, not for favor, but for friendship; not simply expecting God to be the proverbial “genie in the bottle,” but being His child in desperate need of a Father. My desperation for God isn’t growing less as I age, it’s increasing exponentially. How about yours?
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 