Thursday, October 20, 2011

Busted and Glad of It!

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise" (Psalm 51:17)

I have enjoyed just recently perhaps one of the most wonderful weeks of my life, beloved! Let me explain. This week we had the privilege of having our son, Jerry, with us from Virginia and also having him preach revival services at the church that I am privileged to serve as interim pastor. One evening my wife was able to leave her mom in someone else' care and be present for the service. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed watching her watch him as he stood in the pulpit and boldly proclaimed God's Word!

During one of those messages this week Jerry used an unusual word to describe the concept of being "contrite," admittedly not a word with which many Christians associate contrition. Speaking with the heart of a true youth pastor, he told us that to be contrite in spirit is to know that you are "busted" before God. His point was simply that until we can admit to ourselves and especially to God that we are truly spiritually bankrupt, genuine repentance cannot take place, not to mention any real ministry in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Did you know that Isaiah the prophet admitted himself to being spiritually "busted" in his own life? Oh, he didn't use that exact word, but he used a Hebrew word that means much the same thing. Listen to what he said of himself on the occasion of seeing the glory of God filling the temple:

"Then I said, 'Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts'" (Isaiah 6:5)

Not only did Isaiah, arguably Israel's greatest prophet, declare himself to be "busted," but he then declared that the whole nation of Israel was as well! And just why did he conclude that all of them were so spiritually bereft? Because he had seen the glory of Holy God and his own sinful reflection mirrored in that holiness.

But that's what being "busted" is all about, beloved. As long as we are looking anywhere else - at the pastor, at the next door neighbor, at the girl whose desk is across from ours - we will never come to really understand what it means to be "contrite" of spirit. Only when we take a long searching look at Holy God and see ourselves reflected in His glory will we say with Isaiah, "I am ruined!"

Believe it or not, being "busted" is a great place to be, beloved! Once you are there and know that you are there, you are in the one and only spot where the Holy Spirit of God can take what's left of you and make you into what He wants and needs for you to be - a true subject of God's kingdom and servant for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't know about you, then, but as for me I am truly "busted" and glad of it!

Ron