Verse of the Day 1/31

Verse of the Day 1/31

Isaiah 57:15  For thus says the High and Lofty One

Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
"I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.    New King James Version (NKJV)

For today's verse we'll return to Isaiah 57, the same passage where yesterday we considered how God offered restoration; comfort; healing; and to lead to those who would turn or return to Him.  Verse 15 gives us a key component of the heart, the attitude who truly turns to the Lord and repents of there sin.  They are contrite and humble in spirit.

The word contrite is not one that we use or hear very often in our conversations today.  My first recollection of it in Scripture is back in Psalm 51 where David in repentance of His sin with Bathsheba wrote the psalm that contained this word:

Psalm 51:17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.    New King James Version (NKJV)

The word contrite means to be crushed.  I had heard that it would be similar to crushing concrete into mortar, into dust.  But that dust can then be used again.  Shaped by God into a piece of concrete, a new creation or as Psalm 51 from The Message states, "God, make a fresh start in me,  shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life". 

David could relate to this as could Peter who had denied Christ 3 times and Paul who had persecuted the church.  God called to them and they all turned and came back.  I'm reminded of the old hymn "At Calvary", especially the second stanza below.

Years I spend in vanity and pride
Caring not my Lord was crucified
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary

By Gods words at last my sin I learned
Then I tremble at the law I'd spurned
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary

O the love that drew salvation's plan
O the grace that brought it down to man
O the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary

Mercy there was great and grace was free
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary

God will take this kind of heart and revive it.  If your life is in some sort of "chaos" today, turn to the Lord and ask Him to do a Genesis week work to create a new you. 

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Isaiah 57:14-21 The Message (MSG)

¹⁴ Someone says: "Build, build! Make a road!
    Clear the way, remove the rocks
    from the road my people will travel."

^15-21 A Message from the high and towering God,
    who lives in Eternity,
    whose name is Holy:
"I live in the high and holy places,
    but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed,
And what I do is put new spirit in them,
    get them up and on their feet again.
For I'm not going to haul people into court endlessly,
    I'm not going to be angry forever.
Otherwise, people would lose heart.
    These souls I created would tire out and give up.
I was angry, good and angry, because of Israel's sins.
    I struck him hard and turned away in anger,
    while he kept at his stubborn, willful ways.
When I looked again and saw what he was doing,
    I decided to heal him, lead him, and comfort him,
    creating a new language of praise for the mourners.
Peace to the far-off, peace to the near-at-hand," says God—
    "and yes, I will heal them.
But the wicked are storm-battered seas
    that can't quiet down.
    The waves stir up garbage and mud.
There's no peace," God says, "for the wicked."