what God's looking for

When it comes to the Christian faith, one of the core beliefs is that, put simply, we need God. He is the Savior, and we require his saving work. He is the Rescuer, and we are the rescued. Simple enough. At the basic level, we do not earn God’s favor but rather receive it freely. He saves the day, so to speak, and we are accepted freely.

Still, though God embraces us by shear grace, we are nonetheless accountable for how we respond to him and for living in a manner that is consistent with what he has done in accepting us. It’s not that we earn his favor, and it’s not that we slavishly attempt to retain his favor. Rather, we seek to live in a way that reflects a deep sense of appreciation for all that he’s done, is doing, and promises to do for us. Like the child of a good parent, we don’t earn our status in the family; that is something that is given to us without cost. However, like a good and faithful child wants to make his or her parents proud, we should want to live in a way that makes God proud.

But, once again, what is God looking for? If we can say it this way, what impresses our heavenly Father? Well, in Isaiah 66:2, we get a little glimpse at God’s heart. Here’s what he says:

But to this one I will look,
To the one who is humble and contrite of spirit,
and who trembles at My word.

“I will look” – Wow, these are powerful words. It’s like God saying, “these are my favorites. These are the ones I most appreciate. These are the ones I’m proud of. These are the ones who please me and 'get' what I’m after.”

“The one who is humble and contrite in spirit” – Humility is one of those necessary characteristics. It’s a realization that we are–how shall I say it?–we are not God. We are creatures. We’re limited and often weak. Indeed, though we are capable of incalculable good, this is ultimately traceable to God’s goodness and grace. Recognizing who and what we are, realizing that we need God, understanding that we must be linked to heaven (and, by extension, to others)–we see ourselves properly.

Humility, though, is not a sense of “woe is me.” It’s not a type of depression and inadequacy. Rather, it entails a connectedness to the one who makes all things possible. It’s saying, “I know who I am, and who I am is an outworking, an outflowing, of the One who made me.” Humility is the comprehension of my “me-ness” in the presence of his “God-ness.”

To be contrite, of course, is an ongoing acknowledgment that me are human, that we are far from perfect. It is a willingness, when appropriate, a humble willingness, to admit our wrongs and our foibles.

“Trembles at My word” – God’s word is his revelation, his communication. It is the unveiling of his person, promise, and power (the alliteration is unintentional :-) ). The word comes to us via the written word, i.e., Scripture, which is why this book has been cherished for centuries. But it’s not simply the ink on the page that is in view (though that is the historical basis for much of what we believe); it’s the unfolding of God’s will and ways through a variety of avenues, including the collection of documents we call the Bible.

To tremble at his word is to recognize, even at an emotional level, that he is the Lord, and we must not attempt to usurp his place. It is to have enough sense to say that his ways, his plans, his personal revelation, take priority. To tremble is to feel reality, to sense that God himself deserves our honor and praise. It is to properly react to our Creator, to reverence and deeply respect his ways.

This, then, is what apparently impresses God, if we can speak in such terms. He’s looking for those who are humble. He’s searching for people who are able to “come clean” about their faults. He seeking men and woman of every age, who have high regard for the one who is called the Lord.