God Revives the Spirit of the Lowly

For this is what the high and exalted One says—
    he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
    but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
    and to revive the heart of the contrite." (Isaiah 57:15)

Exalted Father,

I love this verse. In it you speak of your exalted state, that you are figuratively high above us - elevated from us because the difference between you and us is so immense as to be immeasurable. Your holiness is incomparable to any feeble effort at holiness we might attempt. And from that we might assume that you are unapproachable, that you cannot stoop so low as to touch us.

But then you speak the unimaginable. That you also live with us and when we are at our lowest, you are at your closest. And you live with us for a purpose - to revive our spirits and our hearts. Isaiah spoke of you living with your people spiritually, but he also spoke to seven hundred years after his time when you, through your Son, would physically live among your people, comforting the contrite and lowly, and he also spoke to the indwelling of your Spirit in your people for all time beginning at Pentecost.

I pray these children understand both your awesomeness and your closeness. May they fully stand in awe of your loftiness and your holiness, but may they also fully understand your gentleness and compassion with the lowly in heart. May they have that same compassion toward the lowly and struggling, but may they also understand that in their greatest times of hurt and struggle, you are drawing close to them to revive their spirits and their hearts.

Amen