Isaiah 66

Isaiah 66

The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

1 Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

Contrast this with:

Psalm 51:16-17 (English Standard Version)

" For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

AND

Isaiah 64:6 (English Standard Version)

"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

I don't know if this is encouraging to you, but to a large extent it frees me from the temptation towards legalism and it at least helps with self-righteousness. Sadly, I have lately felt bombarded by a lack of contentment and a healthy dose of self-righteousness... BAD combination, can anyone say PRIDE... oh me me pick me! CRAP.

It has been an extremely tough year, and yet the Lord has been gracious. My lack of contentment has been manifesting itself in the form of self-pity; and the self-righteousness has largely showed up in the thought "why am I surrounded by idiots??? and why can't they get their act together?!"

Yikes, not good! Not good at all. Where the heck to I get off having pride? What did I ever do that warrants any semblance of pride? Sometimes it is sooo disappointing to realize the junk that goes through my brain. Man, the poor people who live with me and have to put up with me. Praise the Lord for their patience and kindness.

Anyway, I find these scriptures helpful and humbling. I hope you do as well. Thanks for listening to me confess.