“‘Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ declares the LORD. ‘These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.'” — Isaiah 66:2
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All scouting is difficult, but amateur scouting in baseball, in my opinion, is the most difficult aspect of professional baseball. Scouts scour diamonds throughout the world in search of the best athletes and baseball players. They are looking for those who excel at throwing, fielding, hitting for average, hitting for power, and those who can run like the wind. Occasionally, a scout will come across someone who displays all five of these abilities — the five-tool player. Very few Mike Trouts, Shohei Ohtanis or Ronald Acunas exist in the world. These players are highly valued and sought after.
Likewise, our Heavenly Father is constantly scouting the earth looking for certain types of people for His Kingdom. Yet, the qualities He seeks differ from what most might think. He is not looking for the most articulate or attractive individuals. He is not looking for the most gifted or deepest thinkers.
Through the prophet Isaiah, He tells us the qualities He is looking for: “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word” (Isaiah 66:2). Proverbs 15:33 tells us, “Humility comes before honor.” Humility leads us to have a repentant heart and a deep desire to love, honor and obey His Word.
The Holy Spirit equips us with a contrite heart and a desire for the Word when we humble ourselves before Him. The Heavenly Scout will take notice and highly value that individual.
— Mickey Weston, Chicago White Sox chaplain
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