relationships (Isaiah 6:1-13) A Trustworthy Relationship

(Isaiah 6:1-13)  

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above Him, each having six wings: with two each covered his face, and with two each covered his feet, and with two each flew. 3 And one called out to another and said,

     “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of armies.
     The whole earth is full of His glory.”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. 5 Then I said,

     “Woe to 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 armies.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your guilt is taken away and atonement is made for your sin.”

8 Then 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!” 9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

     ‘Keep on listening, but do not understand;
     And keep on looking, but do not gain knowledge.’

10 Make the hearts of this people insensitive,
     Their ears dull,
     And their eyes blind,
     So that they will not see with their eyes,
     Hear with their ears,
     Understand with their hearts,
     And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered,

     “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
     Houses are without people 
     And the land is utterly desolate,
12 The Lord has completely removed people,
     And there are many forsaken places in the midst of the land.
13 Yet there will still be a tenth portion in it,
     And it will again be subject to burning,
     Like a terebinth or an oak 
     Whose stump remains when it is cut down.
     The holy seed is its stump.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The Lord God is holy and cannot have a relationship with sin;  therefore, sin separates us from Him.  But because He loves the world, He came to earth in flesh to accomplish His work on the cross in order to provide a way to Him and His heavenly throne and home.  Because of this, and only because of this, we can approach Him for His forgiveness and then enjoy a personal relationship with the Lord God, Himself, for all eternity.

It is pride, greed, arrogance and the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ's salvation that keeps one separate from the Lord.  Makes sense, yes?!  If one doesn't want anything to do with Jesus, why would one expect to go live in His home after they pass away?  And even if one thinks that they can go to heaven, in their own efforts driven by their own efforts in pride, greed and arrogance, one will never be able to work or earn their way up to heaven, since one has to be holy (perfect).  None of us are able, because we all fall short of God's glory. 

It is God who reaches down to us, and it is God who saves, cleanses, heals and helps us.  While the Lord God does everything for us, understand that the Lord will never force anyone to believe in Him.  It is the choice of each individual, and it only requires a humble heart to recognize our need for Him and accept His free gift of forgiveness.  So in our brokenness, in humility, like a chopped tree, it is then that the fragrant resinous juice can flow.  It is then, in our salvation, that we receive the Lord's indwelling Holy Spirit of promise, who changes us from the inside out, and continues to work for us, in us and through us!

In the same way, God never forces any of His children (any believer) to live in obedience.  But for the simple fact that we love Him, we should desire to live in obedience;  especially since we know that He cares and wants the very best for us.  And we can know that He wants to help us in all things within His will!  So when He calls us, will we be willing?  And to where and to what He calls us, will we continue to trust His wisdom, strength and purpose for our lives?  It is one thing to believe that God is able to carry this out, it is quite another thing to rest in Him with faith, and trust that He knows exactly what He is doing, and that He's got this!