"For thus saith the high
and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high
and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive
the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah
57:15) More and more I look for one particular evidence of God's Spirit working
in the hearts and lives of men and women. I look for brokenness of spirit and
heart. I look to see if proud sinners are bowed down and their mouths shut
before God. I will not try to "out yell" their religious and self-righteous
words nor meet them on their own low ground of debate and argument. When Christ
fed the multitude, He first had them to sit down on the ground. It seems that
spiritually He must do the same thing for sinners if they are ever to be fed of
the Bread of Life. No preacher of the gospel can feed those who have no appetite
for the gospel. No teacher of the Word can teach those who already know all that
is to be known. No leader can lead those who in their self-will determine their
own course based on their own wisdom. Human pride and self-righteousness must be
dealt with by the only power that can...the power of Almighty God. I have often
heard of children that were born with crooked limbs. Many times their bones have
to be broken in order set them where they will grow straight. The process is
painful but necessary in order to accomplish the desired end. So is it with
fallen men and women. We were born crooked and God must break us and bow us as
He brings us to be conformed to the image of His Son. If He does not break us He
will destroy us with eternal destruction. We must be brought down before we can
be brought up. We must be emptied before we can be filled. We must be abased
before we can be exalted. All our filthy rags of self-righteousness must be
stripped before we can be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We must die
before we can be resurrected. It has been rightly said that the way up is down!
God resisteth the proud but He gives grace to the humble. He that walketh in
pride He is able to abase. If God were not able to break us and abase us then He
would not be able to save us. Thank God, He is able to do both. He lifts the
beggar off the dunghill and makes him a prince by His grace.