Crumbled to Pieces

I’ve been doing a study on the word ‘dwell’ in the Scriptures, and I came across this verse this morning:

Isaiah 57:15
“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

I knew it sounded good and encouraging, and like the character of my God, but there were some words I wasn’t quite sure the meaning of. And because I am a word nerd to the core, I did a little more digging.
What a blessing!

high– H7311 exalted
lofty– H5375 bear, forgive, honorable
dwell– H7931 lodging, to reside or permanently stay
high– H4791 above, dignity
holy– H6918 sacred, sanctuary
contrite– H1793 crushed
humble– H8217 depressed, low
revive– H2421 nourish up, recover, repair, restore
contrite– H1792 crumble, bruise, beat to pieces

Notice how there are two different definitions for the words high and contrite. We can’t just assume the words mean the same thing. We have to investigate! I use e-Sword to study with, and it makes looking up definitions so much easier.

Now, if we write out the verse with these words plugged in, we get a much richer sense of what the meaning is. It’s so much better when I truly know what is being said rather than guessing or filling in what I think words mean.

Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the exalted One who bears, forgives, and is honorable, that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I permanently stay in the place of sacred dignity with him that is of a crushed and depressed spirit, to nourish up, preserve, repair, and restore the spirit of the depressed, and to nourish up, preserve, repair, and restore the heart of the ones who have crumbled to pieces.

WOW!! If you’ve ever wondered where Jesus is in the midst of your suffering, He is right by your side. If you are depressed, feel crushed, even if your life has crumbled to pieces, Jesus is right there seeking to restore, repair, and nourish up your spirit and heart.

What a comfort! I am so very grateful for my relationship with Jesus. He has been with me through many times of sorrow and grief, when parts of my life have been crumbled to pieces.

When you are tempted to isolate yourself, to turn away from God because you think He doesn’t understand, when you want to run and hide from the world, can I encourage you to instead lean in to Jesus?

Jesus Himself quotes Isaiah in the New Testament.
Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (19) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Jesus says that He is anointed to preach, heal, deliver, recover, and free those who are poor, brokenhearted, held captive, blind, and bruised. What a wonderful Savior!

I am grateful for His indwelling presence that never leaves me, for His Word the comforts, rebukes, and restores, and for the people He has brought into my life that keep pointing me back to Him. He is so good!

And if you don’t have the spiritual strength to reach out to Him, find someone who does, and ask for help. There are people all around you who would be happy to help you seek His face when you are struggling. You don’t have to be alone in your suffering. In fact, you’re never alone. Jesus promises that He is right there.

Take a step of faith today and just reach out with simple words, thanking Him for not leaving you alone. Open your heart and let Him do His healing work, and let others minister to you in His name. He has given us one another as a gift!

If you need prayer today, feel free to message me. I will pray for you.