Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
What do you want to do for God? Selfish people think to themselves, “What do I want to do for myself? How do I make myself a name?” People who love the Lord may think, “What am I going to do for God?” Both questions can lead to something that is not quite right. King David had said, “I want to build a house for God,” and God replied, “You are not going to build me a house. I’m going to build you a house.” That is, God would build the line of David through which the Messiah would come. So, Solomon is the one who ended up building David’s desire, David’s temple for God.
In I Kings 8:27 Solomon says, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” Solomon seemed to say, “How in the world could you impress a God Who has everything? God is so magnificent and massive how could I possibly do something that would impress Him?”
In Isaiah 66:1-2 you have the book end to Isaiah 1. In Isaiah 1 God’s people were doing a lot of things, but they were not pleasing God. God said, “To what purpose are all your sacrifices to Me? Who told you to tread my courts? Your sacrifices are vain, in fact, they are an abomination and an iniquity. My soul hates them. They are trouble to Me and I am weary to bear them. Away with them.” These are strong words. The reason for that is God was talking to people who were trying to do things for God but had not given themselves to God. God doesn’t need what you have; God wants you. What does God need? God doesn’t need anything; He wants you.
In Isaiah 66 you have the answer of Isaiah 1, “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?” He is saying, “How could you possibly build a house for Me, when the universe cannot contain me?” It continues, “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” In other words, God is not impressed by what we do for Him; God is moved by our willingness to be a steward for what He wishes to create. You see, we are but stewards of a Creator. God is the Creator.
In chapter 65 He says, “I create new heavens and a new earth.” Twice more He says, “I create…I create.” Men can fashion gods, but man cannot create anything. God is the Creator. We are stewards, and to think that God would have less ambition, fewer plans, and less of an idea of where He was going than you and I would is sheer folly. So, how should a steward respond to a Creator? We are not saying we should not have ambition or shouldn’t want to do things of significance, but there is a difference between doing something to impress God, doing something for God, and being obedient, letting God do whatever He wants to do through you.
So how does a servant respond to a Creator? Certainly he doesn’t impose his own will for greatness or accomplishment on God because that may be little better than trying to build some large empire for self. How should a steward respond to the Creator? First, he should ask. Don’t tell God what you are going to do; ask God what He wants to do. In chapter 65 there is a long dissertation about those who listen to God and those who have not, those who seek God and those who do not. God says in Isaiah 66:5, “Hear the word of the LORD ye that tremble at his word.” So, ask.
Back in I Kings 8 Solomon said, “I can’t build a house for an infinite God.” I Kings 8:28 says, “Yet have thou [God] respect unto the prayer of thy servant…O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day. That thine eyes may be open toward this house.” Solomon is saying, “I’m not imposing upon you what I wish. I am asking you what You want and know that you will hear my prayers from this temple that you wish for me to build.” So, a steward should ask. Don’t be so quick to tell God what you are going to do that you don’t ask God what He would do.
Second, listen for God’s answer. So, a steward needs to ask and he needs to listen. God says in Isaiah 65:12, “Because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.” I shouldn’t be choosing; I should be listening. I shouldn’t be deciding; I should be asking. I shouldn’t be doing; I should be responding to God Who will do more than enough in my life and more than I could possibly do myself.
Today, God is the Creator; I am a steward. God calls the shots; I respond. I ask; God answers. God answers; I listen. That is a place of a steward before his Creator.