Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
GIVE ME CPR, GOD!
Have you ever given CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to someone who was dying? I'm guessing that's not something you would soon forget. The closest I've had to come to giving CPR is in performing the Heimlich maneuver on my own children who have been choking on food. But that doesn't quite seem the same to me.
I often wonder if I would be able to give CPR to a total stranger. I've taken a couple of CPR classes before and they actually recommend that you ought to think twice about giving mouth to mouth resuscitation because of the potential danger to yourself from what infections or diseases the stranger may have. Would that stop me?
The prophet Isaiah wasn't talking about CPR in the above passage, at least in the physical sense. However, Isaiah does share the Word of our Holy God who speaks of His work of "reviving" my soul. You see, I know that I was "dead in my trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1 ff). "But God made me alive ..." He literally gave life to my dead spiritual heart and evil spirit. What's even more amazing was that before He did that, I wasn't even God's child. I was a child of the devil. I wasn't even some stranger, I was God's enemy. Yet in His loving wisdom and grace our merciful Savior has "put His Spirit into us" (Ezekiel 36:27) and given us the breath of eternal life.
Our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, revives and resurrects hearts that were once dead through the message of His "great exchange," His perfect blood for our own sinful blood on the cross. He has given us a new life. He is our hero who stepped in to give us the eternal joy "to sit with Him in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 2:6). Each new day I can thank Him for saving my life, and pray for Him to revive my heart and soul daily through His life giving Word!
