Word for the Day July 1
By: Evang. Cascille Hammack
"Now
this was the sin of your sisters Sodom: She and her sisters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help
the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before Me, therefore I did away with them as you have
see." Ezekiel 16:49,50
When one thinks of the
obvious sin of Sodom and why God destroyed it, the sin of homosexuality and immorality are the abominations that are thought
of. When the Lord refers to Sodom in Ezekiel we see the underlying sin which was pride and arrogance against God.
Pride breeds a multitude of sin. This is why Satan was thrown out of heaven and one third of the angels. Ezekiel
tells us that Sodom was not concerned for the poor and was arrogant and thus God destroyed it. He is the same God today.
He will not tolerate arrogance and pride. He is concerned for the poor and needy. In Isaiah 66:2 the Lord says,
"..This is the one I esteem: He who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My word." Then He says,
"...They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations; so I also will choose harsh treatment
for them and will bring upon them what they dread. For when I called no one answered, when I spoke no one listened.
They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me." Isaiah 66:3,4 Those who worship the Lord while choosing
to live their own way and not according to the Word God has given us are detestable to Him (v. 2); such people will receive
harsh retribution from God. He is not impressed with the splendor of any buildings and man made systems that humans
construct for Him, but He delights in a specific kind of person (v.1-2)- those who are humble in spirit and recognize their
need for His help and grace continuously and who follow His word with all of their hearts. Isaiah 57:15 says, "For
this is what the high and lofty One says- He who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high
and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the
heart of the contrite." Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before
a fall". God lives with the humble, revives their spirits in Him and comforts them with His presence.