Day 276: God, I Need Your Help

Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 66:1-2

Central Thought: Arrogance has no place in the heart of Christian.

Have you ever tried to help a small child learn to do something like tie his or her shoes? It can be very trying—for both the child and the teacher. But perhaps the hardest part is when the child declares, ‘I don’t need your help. I can do it by myself!” Do you ever treat God that way? I know I have.

Consider who God is: He is the Creator of all things. Heaven is His throne, and the earth is His footstool. And yet we come to Him at times with our list of accomplishments and think that we are going to impress God. When we read Isaiah 66:1-2, we get an idea of just how ridiculous this notion is. Only our arrogance would make us think we can offer God something that is already His.

God says He is looking for ‘he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (verse 2). It can be very hard for one to humble oneself. Too often I have resisted altar calls that have been a simple invitation to seek God and ask Him for help with whatever need I might have had at the time. Something inside me argues, ‘No. I do not need to go forward and pray about this. Someone may think there is something wrong with me or that I am not very spiritual. God knows what I need anyway.” I wonder how many times I have had to struggle with an issue or see a need go unmet because of my pride and arrogance—my failure to respond to hearing His Word preached?

There is a song that goes, ‘Oh, Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when I’m perfect in every way.” It is often hard to be humble even though we are far from being perfect. May we learn to humble ourselves and confess to God that we need His help.

Devotional Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to humble myself before You and to tremble at Your Word. I need Your help.

Today’s Bible Reading: Isaiah 66:1-24; Philippians 3:4b-21; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 24:15-16