Favorite Thing No. 1

7. May 2008 by BruceSmith.

Isaiah 6 captures the story of one of God’s best men amidst a terrifyingly amazing setting.  If you read the account what unfolds is a captivating scene filled with pyrotechnics, magical creatures, and awe inspiring power.  Trouble is, God’s man for the hour, Isaiah, seeing himself as he is, before a holy God, comes completely unglued.

The picture here is of a man, a very righteous man, coming to a renewed understanding of himself in light of who God is.  Seeing God and His unattainable measure of perfection, Isaiah, a prophet of God, realizes that his moral character is so far below the standard of God’s holiness, that he just screams in terror, “I am undone”.  He goes on to speak of his moral ineptitude as if he were the lowest of the lows, and is pictured trembling before God.

Then the scene changes, in dramatic fashion, and the vision of God’s entire character draws us into a realm of beauty, grace, mercy, and purpose.  In the same instant in which Isaiah realizes he is undone, God reaches out to him and offers him the gift of forgiveness, cleansing and service!  This is a staggering thought.  The perfect, all holy, God of the universe, desires to have relationship with creatures who fail miserably to live up to the call of God.  He so loves us that even in our weakness and failure, He is the one moving toward us.

We cannot climb a ladder of moral goodness to God.  If Isaiah was unable to get there we certainly cannot climb that high.  This is the message of the scriptures.  Relationship with God and purpose in life comes not from our efforts to live up to the standard set by God.  Rather, we find intimacy with God when we realize we are inept and that only God can offer us life, meaning, purity, and cleansing.

For a people all to prone to do the wrong thing, in the wrong place, for the wrong reasons, and at the wrong time…this is a much needed message.  Even as Isaiah is undone, God reaches out to him, cleanses him, and then ushers him into service.  It is in this adventure set in place by God that Isaiah and all of us find our passion for life.  We will never find a life worth living pursuing the pleasures and self-gratifying ends of this world.  Only as we come to God in Christ and pursue His call and agenda for us do we find the kind of life Jesus speaks about in John 10:10.

And so, favorite thing No. 1 for the week, is the message of grace, forgiveness, cleansing, and service.  Essentially, its the quality of God’s mercy, a benchmark of faith.  May we all be reminded to hang our hat of faith upon this favorite thing.

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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