Yet He Regards the Lowly - Lori Altebaumer

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“Though the Lord is on high, yet he regards the lowly…” Psalm 138:6

A friend recently visited a church where the pastor said in his sermon that he was sinless. I hope what he meant was that God sees him as sinless because of the blood of Christ, because no matter how good we are or try to be, we will never be without sin on this side of eternity.

 Any attempt to think otherwise about myself is quickly squashed by an examination of my heart, my thoughts, and my motives. At any given time, at least one of these will be out of alignment with the will of God. I don’t want it to be. But as the apostle Paul says, “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Romans 7:19).

Friends, WE are the lowly.

Want a litmus test for how you’re doing on rising above “the lowly”? Rate yourself on the fruit of the Spirit (as listed in Galatians 5:22) while stuck in traffic or watching the news or scrolling through  social media.

It’s okay to acknowledge how frequently we fail to achieve “the good I will to do” and instead practice the evil we try to avoid. God already knows.

A few years ago, I visited the Vatican. The extravagance and opulence were overwhelming and impossible to accurately describe. I will not deny there was beauty in the intricate carvings, lavish tile work, and extraordinary sculptures and paintings seen throughout. Perhaps it was a small glimpse of the grandeur of the Temple in Solomon’s days–and that temple a pale glimpse of the Garden we were made for.

And yet, St Peter’s Basilica, with all its splendor, didn’t stir me with the presence of God as powerfully as some of the humble country churches I have visited.

With scuff marked hardwood floors and sunlight that filtered in through modest stained-glass windows to glance off wooden pews worn so smooth from use they felt glassy to the touch, these churches have welcomed me, comforted me, inspired me, drawn me into His love, and saved me.

The Lord has inhabited those spaces so fully I was often like the tax collector in Luke 18:13-14.

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

God, be merciful to me a sinner!

Some might call a church like this lowly. But perhaps that’s the reason I so often and easily find God there. I have more in common with that simple country church that I do with the elaborate cathedral. I’m not a fancy person. I’m not particularly intelligent and have no extraordinary talent or skill.

1 Corinthians 6:19 tells me my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Yet, this body I walk around in is far from perfect. It bears no resemblance at all to an ornate cathedral or richly appointed church. Never mind the fact that there are still and will always be unholy thoughts and emotions wrestling with “the good I would do” within me.

God alone is holy, righteous, and perfect. On my own, I can never achieve the level of righteousness or perfection that would make me worthy to stand in His glory. Without the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, I will never be worthy to be called His child.

But though I am lowly…

He sees me,

He cares for me, and…

He loves me .

There’s one more line in Psalm 138:6.

“But the proud He knows from afar.”

May I never give Him a reason to regard me from afar.

God regards the lowly, and I thank Him for it!

Questions to consider… have there been moments of lowliness when you felt God’s presence near to you? Have there been moments others would have seen as of great success when God felt distant from you?