February 9

Day 242: Revived in His Presence

I was reading in Deuteronomy chapters 8-10 this morning, and felt like commentary on our present times. Meaning, it seemed to describe us, all of us in some measure.

Chapter 8 has God speaking through Moses to the people who would soon enter the Promised Land. These words from God predict how it will go. The people will soon become horribly prideful. God even quotes what the people will later feel, assume and say.

They will soon believe that the wealth they will acquire will be because of their "power and might." Meaning, they got it because they did the work; they put in the hours; they earned it.

And they will also soon believe that the successful conquests to subdue the land will be because of their "righteousness and uprightness." Meaning, their individual and collective virtues will thus require God to reward them with land grants and no enemies.

All this to say, they will soon give themselves the credit, the credit that really belongs to God, alone.

I'll admit it. You can too. To some extent, we all believe what we've worked for and earned is ours, ours alone. We credit ourselves for whatever is in our bank accounts, or in our investment portfolios; our houses, vacations and toys.

If you've ever had the thought, "This is my money! I've worked hard for it," then you relate. This being a statement of our desire for security.

I'll admit this too. And so can you. To some extent, we want our personal territories to expand. We want to be influencers. We want ever expanding reach. We want to be liked, and approved of. Social media feeds this in us, and we gulp it down.

If you've ever posted something, and then looked back to see how many "likes" you gained, then you can relate. (Pastors write books that don't need to be written. Some others write daily blog posts that are not required reading, like me.) This being a statement of our desire for significance.

What, then, was God's take on all this? Deuteronomy 9:24 says, "You've been rebellious from the very first day!" In talking about them, He's talking about us too. We run from God's good for us, and instead try to manufacture a different definition for good ourselves.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13 gives the antidote. "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?

Reading that, I can admit this. And so can you. None of us obey that command. We are born with, and then nurture divided hearts. Our good intentions cannot keep up with our rebellions.

So where can we go from here? Isaiah 55:6-7 says, "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

None of us can rise up to God, to meet Him at His standards. On the rare occasions we try, we fail. We get preoccupied with lesser versions of security and significance. We quickly detour off into pride land.

Christians are not Christians because of their own power and might, not because of any measure of righteousness and uprightness. We really have none to show.

Christians are Christians because we have appealed for and received God's compassion, which has resulted in our being pardoned. But how did that happen?

Isaiah 57:15 tells us. "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'"

Christians are Christians because we know that we've received His compassion, resulting in His pardon...because He has stooped down, even humbled Himself to come to where we are. In our rebellious pride. And what's really crazy, He "delights" to do so.

Knowing our God has come to us, expressing His compassionate heart, granting us pardon from our rebellions, floors me, everytime I think about it. My ultimate security, my ultimate significance come from Him. The credit belongs to Him. Not me. Not you.

Someday I will no longer be a rebel. Nor will you. Heaven and earth will be co-joined in perfection for eternity. Where the spirits of the lowly, where the hearts of the contrite will be forever revived in His presence.