Isaiah 6:3
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.”
What of Today’s Verse…
The prosperity of King Uzziah’s reign seems to have weakened the national character; a deep-seated degeneracy was eating out its vitals. The unbroken summer of fifty years of prosperity and wealth had induced a moral decay which filled the heart of the prophet with dismay. It was in this depressed frame of mind that Isaiah entered the Temple, where the ceremonial of the priests and Levites, the offering of the sacrifice, the antiphonal chanting of the choirs, appear to have further moved his spirit.
The Vision (Isa_6:1-4). The limitation of the earthly fabric faded from his sight, and he became aware of the worship of the Seraphim, their faces veiled before the Divine Majesty, their persons clothed with humility, and their remaining wings prepared for immediate obedience. They sang antiphonally, inciting each other to lowlier reverence and more ecstatic praise.
What a lesson is present to us! What a contrast is here to our lethargic worship and often tardy obedience! This great God is our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ but do we blend sufficient reverence with our childlike trust? Are we not too often glib in our prayers? Do we realize the need of pure hearts and clean hands as we kneel before Him?
The Call (Isa_6:5-8). The humble confession of sin must be ours also. The Seraphim knew that there was only one answer. The altar coals had absorbed the blood of the sacrifice and were now glowing with white heat. They would serve for cleansing and inspiration, and when this was completed, there was nothing left to delay the call to service.
The Commission (Isa_6:9-13). The prophet was not to be disappointed. He was to persist in his message, even though there were only gleams of light through the darkness.
Let us Pray:
Great and Holy God, cleanse us in heart and speech and action, with the Bloodshed on Calvary and the Fire of Thy Spirit, that we may be fitted for Thy Holy service. Cleanse, Call, and Commission us! Amen.
Today’s Scriptural Inspirations
When We Are Tempted
If we think we are standing firm we had better be careful that we do not fall. Every test that we have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow us to be tested beyond our power to remain firm; at the time we are put to the test, he will give us the strength to endure it, and so provide us with a way out.
Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God—Jesus, the Son of God. Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. We must have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.
So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will run away from us. And now he can help those who are tempted, because he himself was tempted and suffered. For sin shall not have dominion over us: for we are not under law, but under grace. We’ll keep your law in our hearts, so that we will not sin against you. If we are tempted by such trials, we must not say, “This temptation comes from God.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. Be alert, be on watch! Our enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be firm in faith and resist him, because we know that other believers in the entire world are going through the same kind of sufferings.
Finally, build up our strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power. Put on all the armour that God gives us, so that we will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks. At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it we will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One. We belong to God, my children, and have defeated the false prophets, because the Spirit who is in us is more powerful than the spirit in those who belong to the world.
Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him. The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials and how to keep the wicked under punishment for the Day of Judgment.
