Ruined

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs…And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory…“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”…Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand…with it he touched my mouth and said, “See…your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:1-8

It brings me to tears just imagining this scene. God, in all of His glory, took it upon Himself to give a regular, finite human being a glimpse, a mere glimpse, of who He is. And it ruined the man.

That’s the thing. One cannot have a true encounter with the Lord and remain the same. Sure, we can read about Him. Even, hear about Him. But, we cannot experience Him and stay as we were.

Most people will not have the testimony of such a vivid encounter as Isaiah. But, there have been times when we have stood on top of a mountain in awe. Or maybe we have stood at the edge of an ocean, or flown over the earth, or watched trees change or a baby grow, and marveled. Perhaps, He has allowed you to be the only one in your family to have a relationship with Him. And, you simply cannot understand why. Perhaps He saved your life, literally. Maybe He has provided for you in a way that there is no other explanation, but His movement. We have these. And, as a result, we are (or should be) ruined.

The thing is, seeing God for who He is causes us to see who we are: finite, imperfect, inglorious, sinful people. This is the beginning of the revival – being ruined.

Revisit the times when you have seen God and it ruined you. Regardless of where you are now, how you feel about life, at peace or in turmoil, you have these moments. Retrace the steps of your heart and write them down. God is doing some amazing things in us, and the people around us. We are humbled. Awed. And, quite honestly, a bit frightened. But it is good.

Ruined,
Kim