Being in the presence of God
It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple... Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.” Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:1; 5-8 You can go through the motion of attending church services, reading your Bible, and praying, but if you continue to ignore sin in your heart, will not encounter the presence of God. The presence of sin will hinder your service and desire to worship God. This is what Prophet Isaiah realized when he was brought in the presence of God. The experience took place after the death of King Uzziah. His death happened during the time when the people of Israel were living in disobedience to the will of God. King Uzziah was a reliable king of Judah that he was calling the people of Israel to go back to God. The Israelites were continually observing religious practices and rituals, yet their hearts were not in tune with God. Isaiah was concerned that if God will not intervene, the Israelites will continue in their sin and their worship of God will just become an observance that had lost its true meaning. So in his desire to seek God, Isaiah experienced the awesome presence of God. That day changed his life forever. He became aware of his own sinfulness that he sought God’s forgiveness. God, true to His nature, provided Isaiah with the forgiveness he needed. He also realized the need to continue what King Uzziah had started. When God told Isaiah of the need for someone to go on God’s behalf to bring His message of forgiveness, he responded by saying to God, “Here I am, send me.” When worship is not just a routine that you habitually observed but a sincere desire to seek God and His presence, God will reveal Himself. God seeks true worshipers. “But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). Once you offer to God your genuine worship, just like Isaiah, you will never be the same again and you will respond to God by expressing your willingness to serve Him. When you come to worship God, anticipate that you will experience His presence for He promised, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (Jeremiah 29:13). If your worship is just becoming a routine and you do not have the desire to experience His presence and be changed, then your worship has become man-centered. Seek God’s forgiveness and expect to hear from Him. Let Him remove the things that will hinder your relationship with Him and your desire to serve Him.
Blessings,