God knows everything. He made everything. Nothing escapes His notice. But what is it that grabs His attention? Where does He direct His gaze? To whom does God look with favor? Out of all creation, and out of all the people who live on the earth, God turns His attention to the ones who are humble, contrite, and “tremble at His word.”
God knows everything. He made everything. It’s His universe. Nothing escapes His notice. But what is it that grabs His attention? Where does He direct His gaze? To whom does God look with favor?
“For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
Out of all creation, and out of all the people who live on the earth, God turns His attention to the ones who are humble, contrite, and “tremble at His word.” These three qualities together are essential for knowing and serving God. “Contrite of spirit” literally means “afflicted of spirit” and carries the idea of deep sorrow over sin. It is very much like Jesus’ phrase “poor in spirit” in the Sermon on the Mount. Trembling at God’s word is the attitude of one who recognizes just who God is. How can we know Him in His holiness and take His word casually? He looks to those who take His word seriously, as the very Word of the exalted Lord to the lowest servant.
Why does humility gain God’s attention? For one thing, it is rare. Rare and precious. Humility is the only proper response of the creature to the Creator, the finite to the infinite, the dependent to the One who needs nothing. It is also the only proper response of the sinner to the Holy One. How should the wicked respond to perfect Goodness? Arrogance is the norm, but utter humility is what befits sinful mankind.
God also looks to the humble because it means a man or woman is ready to be used of God. To be useful, a man must put self aside. The humble can do that. As C. S. Lewis said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” He’s on to something there. Compared to God, we are most certainly “less.” Humility recognizes that great reality. But in living, humility is not a craven state of inaction, but a call to selflessness. It is not pretending to be lower than you are, but to cease comparing yourself with others altogether. The humble then is not easily offended, not ripe for conflict, and not inclined to give up when things get hard. The humble person does not mind the lower place because he knows it’s not about him.
Octavius Winslow says:
“Nothing more closely evidences an advance in the divine life as our growth in humility of mind. The nearer we approach heaven, the lower we grow in the estimate of ourselves. We learn to take the low place as we become more deeply sanctified, ready for any and every work and office the Master may assign us.”
That’s it! And what the Lord is saying to the humble is that He sees them! He looks at them with special attention, with extra care. Far from laboring in obscurity, God directs His eyes at them and sees all they are doing for Him! They may be forgotten by men, but they are not forgotten by their Creator. And so Jesus’ words spring to life: “The last shall be first, and the first last.” That’s because the Lord had His eyes on the last all the time.
Yours in Christ,
Originally printed in The AFBC Pony Express. Vol. IX, No. 5, May 2016.