Humble and contrite heart
This is what the Lord says:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?
Could you build me such a resting place?
My hands have made both heaven and earth;
they and everything in them are mine.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
who tremble at my word. Isaiah 66:1-2 NLT
From the text, God expresses His preeminence over all. He cannot be confined by any structure that humanity designates as a place of worship. “But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27). He needs no house or He cannot be walled in for true worship is not measured by outward action or form. We will be mistaken when we think that God can be worshiped only in specific location. What God blesses are not the rituals or styles we use to express our worship. What He looks at is our heart. God looks approvingly to those who humble themselves before Him realizing their spiritual bankruptcy and His reign over their lives. “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” (Matthew 5:3). God inhabits the hearts of those that are contrite, who finds their wealth not in material security but in His presence. These are the ones to whom he will live with for eternity. As God said, they “tremble at my word” (Isaiah 66:2). They respect and honor God by obeying His word. This is also what the Lord Jesus Christ said: “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them” (John 14:21). We are deceiving ourselves when we think that God is impressed when we do the “right” things in our expression of worship but not listening to His word. He looks at our hearts and our willingness to submit to His word without precondition. When we are in the presence of God, let us listen to His word with a longing to hear, trust, and a willingness to obey. When we do this, He will give us more we could ask and imagine. “So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls” (James 1:21).
Blessings,