Have you met one-on-one with your Maker recently? I'll admit, it's not always easy making time to meet intimately with our God. Obviously He's not too busy for me, but I, as ridiculous as it sounds and really is, find it challenging to squeeze Him into my "busy schedule" some days. Shame on me. Truly. Shame.
Our God invites us to meet with Him often. And He promises great benefits to those who take the time to come into His presence, sit at His feet, listen to His still, quiet voice, and learn from Him. For instance, He promises to let us in on the mysteries of His glory. He promises to make us His intimates. And He promises to give us abiding peace.
Today I read in Isaiah 6 the familiar account of Isaiah's holy moment with God. "Holy, holy, holy!" said the seraphim who attended the Lord sitting on His throne, high and lifted up. An amazing passage that never fails to send goose bumps and a chill up our spines. Ah, the majesty and splendor of it all.
What happened when Isaiah came into the very presence of God?
- He saw just a smidgeon of God's magnificent glory. He got a taste for who God really is. Couldn't we all use a daily reminder of the majesty and power of our God? We tend to make Him out to be so small, you know. But He is grand, oh, so grand!
- He grasped the gravity of his own sin. I need a daily dose of that kind of revelation myself. Just as we tend to minimize our God, most of us have a propensity toward down-playing our sin, too. But in reality, our sin is putrid and offensive before our holy God. He has paid a great price to take care of my stench, and so I no longer wreak with the odor of my sin. Still, I need to know from what I have been bought with such a high price.
- He found cleansing there. How often do we carry around guilt for that which God has already paid the ultimate price to free us? Sometimes we avoid meeting with God simply because we're ashamed of who we've become while we've been out doing our thing. But it's in His presence that we are cleansed, made new, and set free. Don't let unconfessed sin keep you in the outer court today. Come boldly before the throne of God by way of the blood of Christ. And there you will find mercy and grace that wipe away your stains.
- He heard the call of God. Want to have a sense of purpose? Want to know the will of God? Want to hear the heart of God? You have to come into His courts to hear the voice of God. And there in His presence, once you have acknowledged His lordship, you will hear the call of God. By the way, I've found that the best place to meet God is in His Word. You may find Him out in nature, in the melody of a beautiful praise song, or in the stillness of solitude. But you'll always find Him in His holy Word.
- He garnered courage and boldness. Isaiah didn't even hesitate to volunteer for the Lord's grave assignment. Isn't that amazing? I think too often we consider the requests of God apart from God, where our courage wanes and our abilities seem slim. But when we spend intimate time with our God, we will recognize that He will not call us to do anything for which He does not also equip us. And so we will have the courage to say "Yes!" In His presence we find courage for living, for obeying His Word, for going out in His name, and for fighting our spiritual enemies.
Won't you make time in your "busy schedule" to spend time with your God today? I promise, it will be well worth it. I'd love for you to share with me what you gain from spending time with God.Labels: Walk Through the Bible