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“But this is the one on whom I will look; he is poor and of a broken heart, and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).<\/p>\n
Who is the person who receives special care from God? For those who worship confidence, the answer is surprising: One who has a humble and repentant spirit and trembles at the word of God.<\/em><\/p>\n A text very similar to Isaiah 66:2 is Psalm 34:18, where David said, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” When we hear this viewpoint expressed, we can’t help but think of Jesus’ “joys” in the New Testament: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:3,4). Although these words sound almost absurd to modern ears, the truth is the truth. When it comes to the most important parts of life, a broken heart is no problem; It is a blessing. As long as sin is a reality in our lives, we have to see it for what it is and, in godly sorrow, ask God for forgiveness.<\/p>\n We see in both the Old Testament and the New that the door to God’s blessings is not opened by satisfaction with our lifestyle or our own sense of perfection, But realizing how empty we are.<\/em> If we humble ourselves before God, we see that in the presence of His holiness we are not rich; We are bankrupt. Especially in the so-called \u201cdeveloped\u201d countries of the world, we need hearts that are more broken. To those who are self-satisfied, James clearly said: “Be sorrowful, and mourn, and weep. Let your laughter turn to mourning, and your joy to sorrow. Humble yourself before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:9,10).<\/p>\n It is true \u2013 and what a wonderful truth it is \u2013 that joy comes from God’s forgiveness (1 Peter 1:3-6). But who are the ones to forgive? These are the people who come to God with a broken heart (2 Corinthians 7:9,10). And we see no better example than the description of Saul of Tarsus mourning because of his new awareness of his need for God’s forgiveness. He fasted for three days before the Lord showed up to tell him what he needed to do to wash away his sins (Acts 9:8-19; 22:11-16). In this world, even in Christ, only the repentant will ever be able to find true happiness.<\/p>\n “The only thing that mends by breaking are the hearts of sinners” (Anonymous).<\/p>\n Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com<\/a><\/p>\n