God who Revives our Hearts

[Isaiah 57:15-19]

When we, as holy children of God, commit sins against God in this dark world, we will be feel that God is far away from us.  Although we know that God is Immanuel God who is with us, we will not be able to see how God is working in our lives, cannot hear His voice and will be unable to experience Him.  We will be far away from Him.  That was what the Israelites did in prophet Isaiah’s time.  They kept on committing sins against their holy God.  And one of the prime sin they committed against God was idol worship (vv.3-9).  They were committing spiritual adultery.  They forsook God (v.8).  They were wearied by all their ways, but they did not faint and say “It is hopeless.”  They found renewal of their strength in committing sins against god (v.10).  Isn’t it scary that we find renewal of our strength in committing sins against God even though we are tired in this world?  That’s why we keep sinning against God because we do not fear Him.  Also, we keep on sinning because God have long been silent (v.11).  If God is not silent and discipline us, will we still be committing sins against Him?  To such sinners like us, God is giving His promise in Isaiah 57:15.  And His promise is ‘I will revive the spirit of the lowly and the heart of the contrite’ (v.15).  In other words, God is giving us His promise today that He will revive your heart and my heart when we humble ourselves and go to Him with broken heart.  How does God revive our heart?  He does so in 3 ways:

First, God revives our hearts by not being always angry at us.

Look at Isaiah 57: 16-17 - “I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me-- the breath of man that I have created.  I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways.”  God was angry at the Israelites because of their sinful greed (v.17).  That’s why in anger, God hid His face from them.  But because the Israelites’ spirits would grow faint before Him, God told them “I will not accuse forever, nor will I always be angry” (v.16).  And the reason why God stopped being angry at the Israelites is not because the Israelites repented their sins.  More that than, it was because God is merciful God.  This merciful God is our God.  And He stopped being angry at us and thus stopped disciplining us because He doesn’t want our spirits to grow faint (v.16).  Thus, He revives our hearts because He is merciful God.

Second, God revives our hearts by healing us.

Look at Isaiah 57:18a, 19b - “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him  …  And I will heal them.”  Although the Israelites were receiving discipline from God, yet they kept on in their willful ways (v.17) of sinning against God in their sinful greed.  So knowing that they were not able to repent their sins and turn to God, God turned to them and promised them that He would heal them.  And the reason was not because they humbled themselves with brokenness and repented their sins.  The reason was because God is gracious God.  This gracious God is our God.  And He graciously promises to us that He will heal us knowing that we are powerless and helpless in repenting our sins and returning to Him.  He will work in our hearts so that we may repent our sins and return to Him.  He will certainly deliver us from our sins. And He will guide us and restore comfort to us (v.18).  As a result, our hearts will be revived.

Lastly, God revives our hearts by giving us praise and peace.

Look at Isaiah 57:19 - “creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near," says the LORD. "And I will heal them.”  After gracious God delivered the Israelites from their sins, God gave them a promise word through His prophets that He would give them “Peace, peace” (v.19).  When they were kept on sinning against God, they couldn’t experience peace.  But God promised to them He would heal them, and then would give them peace in their hearts.  And God fulfilled that promise because He is faithful.  This faithful God is our God.  And our faithful God is giving us His promise today.  And His promise to you and I is that He will give us peace that the world cannot give and the world cannot understand.  And by doing so and fulfilling that promise, God is reviving our hearts.

                Our God is merciful and gracious God.  He is faithful God!  That’s why God stops being angry at us even though we keep on sinning against Him because He knows that our spirits will grow faith before Him.  That’s why God heals our sinful hearts and delivers us from the willful ways of sinning against Him.  That’s why God gives peace in our hearts from us to enjoy and praise Him for not only what He has done for us but because who He is.  So we pray this day as the psalmist did in Psalms 119:7 - “Turn away my eyes from looking at vanity, And revive me in Your ways”.

May the Lord revive my heart according to His Word,

James Kim