Friday May 10, 2024
Isaiah 57:15
“I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him
who is of a contrite and lowly spirit.”
The Lord dwells with those who are of a humble and contrite heart.
He dwells there.
We call the place where we dwell our home. The Lord tells us then that He feels at home in our contrite and humble hearts.
It is no doubt hearts such as these of which the Lord Jesus was thinking when He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit!” “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness!” “Blessed are they that mourn!”
Many of God’s children read these beautiful words with a deep sigh. To them they have become words which breathe judgment. Since their hearts do not hunger and thirst after righteousness, since their hearts do not mourn, but are cold and indifferent, of what avail, then, is all God’s mercy and goodness?
At such times it is not easy to be a child of God.
But listen now! You have misunderstood what is meant by a contrite heart; you do not understand what it is like on the inside.
If you take a glass tumbler and dash it to the floor with all your might, you will see what a broken tumbler is like. It lies there in a thousand pieces. And no glass-maker can put it together again.
Just so with the heart which God has crushed into contrition. Your faith and love, regret and sorrow, praying and reading, sacrifice and self-denial—everything has been dashed to pieces. You sit looking at the remains. And to you the whole thing looks hopeless.
You forget that it is God who has crushed your heart—in order that He might dwell there.
My contrite friend! We can honor God in no better way than by believing His grace. That is precisely the reason why He crushes our hearts. Over and over again!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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