Kelly Minter in her outstanding book The Fitting Room says that "Humility draws the gaze of our Sovereign God." Isaiah says much the same thing in 66:2 when he writes, "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." Of course, Isaiah's words are the very words of God, so they carry a bit more weight than Kelly's. Still.
And this is why God looks on the humble with favor: "Thus says the Lord: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; . . . all these things my hand has made and so all these things came to be', declares the Lord." (Isaiah 66:1) God sees the man who looks at himself honestly and at the world rightly and at God with humility, the man who knows he had absolutely nothing to do with even the breath he draws each day, much less the world in which he dwells.
See the world rightly, as God has purposed it. Be small in light of His majesty. Tremble at His Word. Maybe this would be a good New Year's resolution.
Speaking of which, do you have any worth sharing? Like not indulging in chocolate eclairs? Or taking a Zumba class? Or reading only books you own this year, instead of library books? (That one is mine.) Or maybe something like putting off your old self, with its practices, and putting on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator? (Colossians 3:9,10) That's a good one.
Do share in the comment space what you would like to accomplish this year, silly or serious. We'd love to watch you grow . . . or shrink, as the case may be.
2 resolutions (well, 3 after reading this post):
ReplyDelete-brush my dog's nasty mouth every day
-re-read, dwell on, and pray over my prayer journal every morning
-strive by God's grace to live knowing the Truth about God's majesty and my absolute frailty
-Maggie
I think your suggestions of trembling at His Word, and being small in light of His majesty are things I want to be doing this year. I have recently been reflecting on the message of the first few verses of Isaiah 6, where Isaiah sees the vision that impresses him with God's holiness. His initial response was despair as he became aware of his own sin, but once he knew his sin was atoned for, instead of despair, he was willing to be used by God. Fixing my eyes on Jesus and contemplating the holiness of God puts my life in perspective and makes me more useful than continually looking at my own shortcomings. I need to do more of that; repentance and thanking God for forgiveness, and then moving on with my eyes on Him.
ReplyDeleteI also hope to clean out every drawer in my house in the course of this year!
Janet