Saturday February 24, 2024
Theme: “Let us be clothed in humility”
Text: Isaiah 57:15
15. For thus says the Most High, whose habitation is eternal and whose name is holy: I dwell in high places and in holiness; But I am with the contrite and humbled man, To revive the humbled spirits, To revive the contrite hearts.
Let's remember:
The current French version says this: “I, the holy God, live up there. But I am also with the people who are crushed and who have the hearts of poor people. I want to restore life to those who have a poor heart, I want to restore life to the humiliated, to restore life to the overwhelmed.” The word "contrived" properly means that which is broken, crushed, beaten, small, trodden under foot. Here it denotes a soul which is carried away by a feeling of sin and unworthiness; a heart that is, as it were, crushed under a weight of supreme guilt. "Psalms 34:18 or 19 depending on the version: "The LORD is near to those who are broken in heart, and he saves those who are weak in spirit." There is a strong need to be reborn in the heart of a crushed person. She only needs God because the pain that tears her apart cannot be absorbed by any human assistance. The moment when our heart is filled with humility is precisely when we are crushed by external causes from which we have no capacity to deliver ourselves without God. And it is at this moment that the Lord is more than close to us to offer us his help. It is there that he relieves us of despondency in order to revive our spirit well; to “make us alive”. It gives us spiritual life and comfort. Let us see the image of plants which begin to dry up and then come refreshing rains, sunshine and pleasant dews. plants will come back to life. The Christian must humble himself at all times in order to please the Lord Jesus. Christ does not disdain to dwell in the very heart of the sinner, if he humbles himself. Humiliation will replace in the eyes of the Lord the holiness that man still lacks, and his presence will create an interior heaven of peace and joy in the soul previously deprived of consolation. Let us create the conditions of humility in our hearts and God will live there. Excellent Saturday. Amen
Alain Louz.-