Down Among Us

Isaiah 57:15 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.

At the far end of Maybole, there was a special boarding school, which was set up for troubled teenagers and young people who had committed crimes. It was a place that offered one last hope for the residents. They either managed to get over their troubles by making positive changes in their lives, or they refused to change and ended up on the streets or in jail.

The directors and teachers were dedicated to the young people and tried to get them interested in their education using creative ways. I visited the school twice a month to give a short message to the students, and also to encourage the staff. It was a tough ministry and I never really knew if I made a difference. Some of the young people hardened their hearts to any talk of God and hope, whilst others were so messed up that they hardly took notice of anyone.

But one thing impressed me: the regular visits that the Marquis of Bute made to the school. He came from a family that had royal blood going back to the time of Robert the Bruce; the first Prime Minister of Great Britain had been one of his ancestors; the family residence was a castle on an island in the West of Scotland. The Marquis’ family was true aristocracy and yet, year after year, time and time again, he visited these young, troubled people and even presented prizes to them for their efforts at the end of each school year. He was someone who would have felt at home with kings, queens, and the titled hoi-polloi, but he had a compassionate heart and a real interest in those teenagers.

I’m reminded that God works in the same way. We are all troubled and sinful, in need of guidance and direction, encouragement and hope. We cannot climb up to where God is, but as Isaiah states, He comes down to be with us, to revive our spirits and cheer our hearts. No matter where we are in life, who we are, or what we have done, God, through Jesus Christ, meets us down here in order to lift us up and restore us to His Kingdom.

Prayer: Almighty God, sometimes we are down-hearted and feel vulnerable. We are weak and frail, anxious and troubled. Thank You for never forsaking us, and for reaching down to where we are, so that we can rise up to be strengthened by Your love, comfort and everlasting care. In Jesus’ Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.