“1In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 6Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.11Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, 12And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. 13But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof” (Isaiah 1:1-13).
This morning as I revisited the message of Isaiah and reflected upon the message of Isaiah where a vivid portrayal of the personal experience described by Isaiah of being lifted into the presence of God and viewing the manifestation of God’s majestic wonder. Isaiah’s account of the ascent into the presence of the holy angels declaring the glory of God describes an experience that moves beyond any finite ability to understand the Holy place of Heaven and descriptions of God in His glory in human terms and presents an apocalyptic of the presence of God unknown to man. In the midst of the shaking of the of the foundation of the posts of the Holy of Holies in the atmosphere of worship and the smoke of the incense from the altar God there came a profound conviction, a personal cleansing, and a prophetic call that Isaiah deeply felt and expressed a response to by accepting God’s offer.
Application of the Vision
While pondering the events described and reflecting upon the events from the personal experience of Isaiah, I am impressed that at the heart of the matter that when God lifts people into His presence, the first response should be recognition of their sinful state and conviction about their part in the condition of the world followed by heartfelt repentance in humility in the presence of the glory and majesty of God. I am challenged to consider that when God calls for a response, it really, it doesn’t really make any difference what anyone else does, thinks or says, I am only responsible for how I respond to God’s invitation to respond to His call. IT is the only thing that is important.
The Voice of God and Response to the Call
Many times while thinking about the calling of God, I have overlooked the central and most compelling component relating to the call of God resting in the attributes and character of Him who calls to service. Every day there are many things calling and demanding my full attention, but none more important than the call of God to transformation and service and to follow Jesus and live the gospel. Obviously, some of these things calling for my attention will be answered out of necessity and others will not even be heard because they are insignificant to the purpose of God. However, the call of God is revealing of the nature and desire of the person whose call to service from the heart, to a king, in a kingdom, to a way of living that transcends human reason or ability. Therefore, I recognize that I can only understand the call when I share the divine nature in measure with the one who issues the summons to service. As a result, I must not be deceived for the call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not mine or for my glory, but His alone. God providentially has woven the tapestry of His calling into my life so I can understand and discern the nature of His call and learn to distinguish His voice from other things calling. It is the revealing of God’s voice through His word about definable concerns; therefore, it is meaningless to seek others opinions about God’s specific call. The way I process of the call of God and the direction that it takes me should be kept exclusively between He and I.
As such, I am reminded that the call of God is not a reflection of my nature or my personal desires and my temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God clearly. Nevertheless, when God brings me into the right relationship with Himself, I will be in the same condition as Isaiah on the mount of the Lord. Isaiah, who was so attuned to God because of the great crisis he had just endured and the call of God penetrated his soul with the burden to go and be a witness of the glory of God. Therefore, I am convicted and convinced that the great majority do not hear anything but echo of personal desires for existence. When we do not attune the heart to the voice of God calling, it is because we have not been brought to the place or conviction, repentance, and willingness to hear the call of God and be to be profoundly changed by the burden to go for Him.
“Lord, allow me into your presence that I may feel the convicting power of your glory. Let me be attuned to Your voice”—that is my prayer. I am willing beyond all my expression to be obedient to go as I hear you speak. May I I be your willing and obedient servant in a time of great crisis to bring truth to a dying nation and a crippled people who have lost their way.”
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