Saturday August 20, 2011

Several years ago I was taking a class in Washington D. C. And had an afternoon off to do some touring of the sites of our national capital. I had set up beforehand a tour of the white house and started in the tour when they stopped us and made us wait. At that moment President Clinton came around the corner dressed in his workout gear and came over to the group of about 30. He answered questions for about 3-4 minutes and I got to ask him a question ( I have no idea what the question was but I am sure it was a profound one, ha ha). He left and we continued on our tour. Some in the group were in awe of meeting the President. Some probably wanted his autograph. Others were unshaken by the meeting. There may have been one or two who didn’t know who he was. I’m sure others had some negative reactions to meeting him due to their political persuasion.

If you were to see the Lord face to face, what would your reaction be? Would you want His autograph. Would you ask Him do answer a prayer request for you? Would you want to see one His miracles performed? Would you even know who you were meeting? Well Isaiah had a face to face meeting with the Lord and his response was much different. “”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.” (Isaiah 6:5 NIV) Isaiah, at the exact moment he saw the Lord, saw his sin and and unclean life, and his response was one of humbleness and humiliation at meeting a holy God. All of his most positive traits were rubbish in comparison to the holy God he was meeting. When you look through the scriptures, humbleness and self depreciation is the first essential ingredient in order to come into the presence of the God almighty who is holy. It’s only when I see my weaknesses, my failures, my mistakes, my sin, that God begins to show Himself to us. “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9)

Not only did Isaiah recognize his sinfulness, but he also recognized the sinfulness of everyone around him. That includes you and me. A humble heart is the only kind of response that gets God’s attention. On this journey make sure that you are responding correctly as you walk with a Holy God.