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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“These are the ones I look on with
favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at My word.
But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a person, and whoever
offers a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain
offering is like one who presents pig’s blood, and whoever burns memorial
incense is like one who worships an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and
they delight in their abominations; so I also will choose harsh treatment for
them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one
answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in My sight and chose
what displeases Me.”
Isaiah 66:2b-4
This ends today’s reading from God's holy
word. Thanks be to God.
How can we know whether or not we are living in a way that
garners the Lord’s favor?
Well, we need look no further than the holy word of the
Lord Himself for the answer as we continue to look at the last chapter of
Isaiah in this 13th devotion in a 17 devotion series titled “The Lord Speaks.” Here’s
what the Lord has to say to us in regard to the question:
“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and
contrite in spirit, and who tremble at My word. But whoever sacrifices a bull is
like one who kills a person, and whoever offers a lamb is like one who breaks a
dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig’s
blood, and whoever burns memorial incense is like one who worships an idol. They
have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations; so I also
will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For
when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in
My sight and chose what displeases Me.” Isaiah 66:2b-4
Note here that those who are living in a way that the Lord
favors have some distinctive characteristics.
First, they are people who are humble.
Look at the life of Jesus and you will find the epitome of
humble living. For our Savior was never hesitant to put Himself second at the
expense of helping another. When someone had a need, Jesus took the time to
attend to that need all the way to the cross where He displayed the ultimate
humility through allowing Himself to be falsely accused, arrested, and then
crucified so that every single person in mankind might have an opportunity to
be saved. He could have saved Himself and called down legions of angels from
His Father in heaven to destroy His attackers but He didn’t. It was more
important to save countless others than to save Himself.
When we live for and like Christ as Christians are supposed
to do, we embody the very qualities of Jesus, humbleness being one of them. And
as the Lord speaks today, we know He favors a humble approach to living.
Second, the Lord favors a person who is contrite in spirit.
We all have erred in life and are sinners. No one can say
they have lived and not made a mistake. With this, we stand before God
condemned and destined for His judgment. But something amazing happens when we
turn to the Lord with contrition, confessing our sins, apologizing for the
things we’ve done, and seeking His pardon.
We find His forgiveness.
You see, the Lord favors a contrite spirit. He knows we are
prone to fail and fall. It’s been that way since He created the first man and
woman, placing them in Eden’s garden. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect but He
does expect us to repent when we sin with a heart that shows Him we are
genuinely sorry for what we have done and ready to do what we can to ensure we
don’t repeat the sin again.
Finally, the Lord tells us He favors the person who
trembles at His word.
This doesn’t mean that we live our lives paralyzed in fear
of the Lord, unable to function in any way. What it does mean is that we live
with a healthy respect for the words of the Lord, remaining obedient to His
commandments and decrees. The Lord wants His people to follow His will and way,
not their own. He delights in anyone who always places His direction and
guidance first, knowing that not doing so will lead to sinfulness instead of
righteousness.
So now the question becomes this:
How well are you living in the Lord’s favor?
Have you been humble in the way you conduct yourself in
life?
Can you be defined by being contrite in spirit?
Would an examination of your life reveal that you have been
compliant and obedient to the word of the Lord out of the utmost respect for
it?
If you are, great job for the Lord is delighting in your
lifestyle.
If you’re not, then you are living in a way that is an
abomination to Him. You are choosing your own ways. You are worshipping idols
instead of Him. You are sacrificing for all the wrong reasons. He is calling on
you to change your ways but you have tuned Him out. And the worst part about it
all is that you are delighting in your sinfulness. There’s no contrition
because in your eyes you are living the way you want to and that makes it
right, even though what you are doing is evil and displeasing in the Lord’s
sight.
Did you notice the Lord speaking to you if you fit this
category?
He said this:
“I will choose harsh treatment for
them and will bring on them what they dread.”
This isn’t the place you want to be, square in the
crosshairs of the Lord’s consequences.
And yet, so many people are doing just that today.
Friends, we need not wonder what it takes to be living in
ways that are either in or out of the Lord’s favor. For He has made it clear
for us, removing any doubt about what He expects.
Now the choice is up to us.
How will you choose?
Amen.
In
Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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