THE ENVIABLE POSITION OF THE POOR IN SPIRIT (Pt. 2)
"... but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." - Isa 66:2
Here again today, we are considering the enviable position of the poor in spirit. There's something that endears the man that is of a poor spirit to God. What that is, we'll learn, God helping us!
The Lord says that He will look on with favor, those who are of a humble and contrite spirit (NIV). Humility and contriteness depicts the feeling or showing of sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming. This is interesting!
Smith Wigglesworth of blessed and glorious memory gives us a picture of what it means to be poor in spirit: "To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we were sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in his hands, and to feel that we deserve no favour from him. It is opposed to pride, and vanity, and ambition. Such are happy: ..." (Smith Wigglesworth, Faith That Prevails)
God says in Isaiah 66:2, "... to this man will I look ..." (KJV); “These are the ones I look on with favor: ... " ( NIV). Now, what makes the Lord to be that favourably disposed to the poor in spirit? Simply, it's because they depend only on God and they tremble at His Word! In other words, these people show humility, and are of a repentant disposition towards God.
Take for instance Ahab who was a wicked King before the Lord. God had sent Elijah, His servant to pass judgement on him for his wickedness against Naboth. But as soon as King Ahab heard the pronouncement of God's judgement, the Bible says " ... that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house." - 1 Kings 21:27-29. This is quite insightful! God was ready to show Ahab mercy on account of his humility and repentance!
Brethren, God has not changed! By His nature, He can't close His Heart to the one who would say to Him "I'm sorry, I repent, forgive me, and have mercy on me"! The state of spiritual poverty excludes pride and vainglory, complacency and ambition. Jesus overlooked the worldly parameters for happiness and laid emphasis on the poor and the humble, saying that they are truly blessed.
In Lk 18:10-14, the Publican was commended by Jesus because he was humble, sensitive to his sinful condition and remorseful. On the contrary, the Pharisee was denounced by the Lord, seeing him to be conceited, boastful, egoistic, prideful and self exaltant. The difference between them being that the Publican was "poor in spirit" whereas the Pharisee was not.
May the Lord help us, in Jesus mighty name.
PRAYER
Dearest Heavenly Father, I humble myself before you, I acknowledge that I'm spiritually poor. Thank you for being favourably disposed to me, in Jesus name.