Daily Devotion — Isaiah 6:1–7 — Learning to Behold God

Isaiah Experiences God’s Goodness

Devotable

--

What stands out to you in this passage? This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. I find this particular scene to be incredibly evocative — it makes me want to behold God. It stirs such awe and wonder within me. He leaves me awe-struck. You may have read this particular story before and, if so, I encourage you to put yourself in the story. Try to imagine what is happening in this incredible scene!

When the Lord Appears

Picture this scene with me, and feel free to create your own word picture if you don’t like mine. Whenever I read this story, I always imagine a cavernous, dark, stone room so silent that you could hear a pin drop. It’s the type of room where someone’s footsteps reverberate throughout the space. King Uzziah has died. This is a humble, somber, and mournful moment. Imagine how emotionally and maybe even spiritually raw Isaiah was.

In that dark space, the Lord appears in all of His splendor. His throne is beaming with His glory and His face is so bright that we dare not look at it. Instead, we gasp at the pure white train of His robe. It’s so long that it billows out and takes up the space of the room. It’s no longer dark, empty, and mournful. The King has arrived.

What a sight to behold! The angels call to one another, praising and extolling God. Their voices are so thunderous that the walls begin to shake, but God’s throne is secure and immoveable. A swirling smoke begins to fill the space; the earth is having a physical reaction to the presence and goodness of God. In His presence, things can’t stay the same.

How would you have reacted if you saw God in all His splendor?

Isaiah’s first response is repentance. He immediately confesses his sinful state when confronted with the pure holiness of Almighty God. Here we see that God doesn’t use His omnipotent glory to punish or demean the lowly Isaiah. Instead, He honors Isaiah’s humility and heals him. And God does the same for us too! When we understand our sinful nature and humbly confess our sins to God, He extends forgiveness, healing, and freedom to us.

--

--

Devotable

Devotable is a collection of writers who create daily devotion content that uplifts believers and spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.