I Saw the Lord - January 26 Readings: Isaiah 6

We are going to "enter the year with praise." Our January readings and devotionals will all focus on the goodness and grace of God. Get a journal or notebook to write down your thoughts every day. Our passages are shorter - please don't rush through them. Take time to meditate and consider why God is worthy of your praise.

Enter 2020 with the praise of God on your lips!

Today's Praise Passage:  Isaiah 6

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another:

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies;
his glory fills the whole earth.

 4 The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 Then I said:

Woe is me for I am ruined
because I am a man of unclean lips
and live among a people of unclean lips,
and because my eyes have seen the King,
the Lord of Armies.

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said:

Now that this has touched your lips,
your iniquity is removed
and your sin is atoned for.

 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking:

Who should I send?
Who will go for us?

 I said:

Here I am. Send me.

 9 And he replied:

Go! Say to these people:
Keep listening, but do not understand;
keep looking, but do not perceive.
10 Make the minds of these people dull;
deafen their ears and blind their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their minds,
turn back, and be healed.

 11 Then I said, “Until when, Lord?” And he replied:

Until cities lie in ruins without inhabitants,
houses are without people,
the land is ruined and desolate,
12 and the Lord drives the people far away,
leaving great emptiness in the land.
13 Though a tenth will remain in the land,
it will be burned again.
Like the terebinth or the oak
that leaves a stump when felled,
the holy seed is the stump.

Through the Bible Reading: Exodus 3–5, Matthew17:1-13, Psalm 17:1–6, Proverbs 3:23-24

Some of our readers want a little more "meaty" devotional, so I am including a link to the through Through the Bible in One Year readings we did last year. 

Devotional: I Saw the Lord 

Wouldn’t it be great to have a vision of God, to see him in all of his glory? Not so quick, my friend! In the Bible, when people had an encounter with the living God it was life-changing, but it was also overwhelming, even terrifying. Isaiah had such a vision in Isaiah 6. He saw God high and exalted with angelic creatures swirling around him.

God had a reason for this vision – he had a job for Isaiah to do. It was a hard job, preaching the judgment of God on the sinful and rebellious Chosen People. Isaiah’s calling followed an interesting pattern. The end result was a calling of God.

God’s purpose in our lives is always to put us into ministry, to get us serving his eternal purposes. We are not saved to sit and await eternal glory, but to become active in the cosmic battle against the forces of darkness. In verse 8, God asks who he should send on his mission and who is willing to go for him. Isaiah responds, “Here I am, send me.” He is willing to serve anywhere God sends. Are you ready to go anywhere God sends you, do anything God lays before you, and proclaim the message of God regardless of what people say?

Isaiah was willing, but was he ready and able? Before he could be sent, God had to prepare him. In verses 1-7, God prepared Isaiah for the service to which he would call him in verse 8. He cleansed him and purified him in verses 5-6. Isaiah humbled himself before God and recognized he was unworthy of the presence of God. “I am undone,” he exclaimed. God’s cleansing power was painful but effective.

What was it that moved Isaiah to repent? Why did he suddenly realize that his lips were unclean? He tells us in verses 1-3. “I saw the Lord.” His vision of God was literal and dramatic. He saw the blinding brilliance of God’s glory and in that light he began to see how dirty and unworthy he was. It was a vision of God that revealed his own sinfulness.

We don’t get those kinds of dramatic visions much today, but we can “see the Lord” as we gaze at Scriptures and meditate on his holy, glorious, sovereign, and wonderful character. That’s what worship and praise do, they give us a vision of the God of the Bible. We see him as he really is – exalted, pure, glorious. This vision humbles us as the light of that glory shines in our lives. The Spirit cleanses us with the burning holiness of Christ and we are fit for his service.

Father, I need to see you today, from your word. May I see you as you are. Expose my heart that I might see my sin and experience your cleansing. Lord, make me fit for your service, and then use me. 

Think and Pray:

Meditate on this passage and write down:

1. The character qualities of God for which you can praise him. 

2. The gracious acts of God for which you can give thanks to him. 

Gaze at the greatness of God today. Consider all of the glory of his character.
Consider yourself in the light of the greatness of God.
Offer yourself to God. "Here I am, send me."