PENITENCE

Scripture for the day: Psalm 34:1, 18 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth …. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Thought for the day: If we are to be truly Christian in today's world we must keep always at the forefront what it means to be a Christian and how God has brought us to the relationship we now enjoy. For one thing, that knowledge ought to help keep us from straying; remember from where He has brought you, was it something you really want to go back to? For another, we ought to be encouraged for the future. After all, if He could bring me this far, how much farther can He take me if I but follow?

Last time we talked a little about the necessary first steps toward God. There was the "foolishness of preaching" necessary to get the Word out where we could hear it. Then there was the focus of that preaching; the heart of man. If the message isn't aimed directly at the heart, the chances are it won't convict anyone of their need. But once that has been accomplished, the next step necessary for salvation is that of penitence; a broken heart.

Take the story of the prodigal son as an example. Here was a young man, probably of age to do as he pleased. His father had no means by which to compel him to stay at home and so, when the desire struck him to go out and find his place in the world, he took what was to become his inheritance and headed off to "find himself". The problem was, and so often is, that when he found himself he didn't like what he'd discovered. So off he went back toward home, hoping to be at least allowed a job on the family farm. His father, as we know, welcomed him back into the family with no questions asked. He didn't even say something like, "Well I hope you've learned your lesson!"

But look at the story again from the son's viewpoint. What did it take for him to swallow his pride, which probably ended up tasting better than the corn husks he'd been stealing from the pigs anyway, and pack his bags and head home? “What will they think of me? Will they hate me? Will they let me stay there or will they throw me out? I've disgraced my family and turned my back on everything and everyone. How can I expect to be welcomed back into the family?” I wonder how many times he’d wanted to go home but had put it off, knowing he had no right to expect forgiveness. How his heart must have ached at the thought of possible rejection by his family and how he'd hurt his father through his own foolish will. But there came a point in his life when he realized his need for forgiveness was greater than his need to maintain his pride and his need to make it on his own. That's what the Bible means when it speaks of a "contrite heart".

And it's not just for the one who needs to come to Christ for forgiveness; those of us who have walked with Jesus for some time now must maintain that same humility before Him as we seek each day to do His will. In our scripture for today, the context shows us that David is speaking here of a person whose heart is right before the Lord, not a sinner in need of forgiveness. Verse 17 speaks of the righteous crying out, not the sinner, and in verse 19 he reminds us of the afflictions of the righteous, not the sinner. No, the idea of a contrite heart is not just a momentary condition as we're seeking forgiveness, though it's necessary at that time. It's the idea of a continual attitude toward our God. Can you imagine how the young man in our story must have acted following his acceptance back into the family? How his attitude must have changed in the days and years that followed. How he must have loved and adored his father and how he must have expressed his thankfulness daily through the work he did and the humility he expressed, not out of guilt or a need to somehow repay his father, but out of a sense of deep gratitude for his father's forgiveness. He was unworthy but his dad loved him anyway. Aren't you glad we've got such a Father in heaven as well?

Now go take on your world. - Bill