“When we look to find, or create, or even demand equality, we often look to erase or remove exclusivity or assignments or even standards and expectations. All which just diminish an perceived role or status worthy of pursuit. 

It may be believed that these are wrong, if not that, then an impediment (perceived or real) to a status and/or identity one believes should be attainable. 

Our Creator God instead, by contrast to this ‘diminishing’, raises a standard for this longed-for equality. In fact, He not only positions Himself with this space, but invests in this posture so completely, enabling all who so choose, to be equally blessed. 

Isaiah 64:4 and Isaiah 57:15 discloses that secret. 

• “For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those [the ones] who wait for him!” (Isaiah 64:4 NLT)
• The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this:
  “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”  (Isaiah 57: 15 NLT)

You will notice it is about a person, not a potential, capacity, status, role or even a gender. It is the person, the individuals who wait with a humble, contrite, surrendered and repentant hearts that the King of heaven leans into and ‘favours’.

This attraction is of nothing less than the nature, character and person of God with you. That is the ultimate equality and even preferred status, that can never be eclipsed by anything in all creation, including capricious, controlling, manipulative or oppressive human beings in whatever stations they may hold.

Shane Varcoe – Disciplesplanet (June 2024)