Isaiah describes a life-changing encounter he had with God at the start of his ministry:
'...I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up...Above it stood seraphim...And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of Him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King"...Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal...from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged." Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" And He said, "Go, and tell this people"...' (Isaiah 6:1-9 NKJV).
An encounter with God always brings three things:
(1) A sense of His holiness and our lowliness.
(2) An acknowledgment of our inadequacy.
(3) Humility, and a hunger for more of Him.
The wear and tear of daily life dulls the sharp edge of our spiritual sensibilities. And measuring our holiness by those around us just lulls us into thinking we're living a committed life when we're not. So God calls us to an encounter with Him to cleanse us, empower us, and send us out to fulfil His purposes.
Soul Food: Acts 12-13, Mark 1:1-13, Ps 103:13-22, Pro 10:30-32
Written by Bob & Debby Gass
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
