In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; His glory fills the whole earth. The foundations of the doorways shook at the sound of their voices, and the temple was filled with smoke. Isaiah 6:1-4
Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy because I am holy. 1 Peter 1:13-16
My words…
Praise
I sneak away to a quiet place and close my eyes, so I can create my own mental image of what Isaiah saw in his vision so many years ago. I see You sitting on a throne of crystal with prisms forming an arc above the throne. Beams of colorful light explode from each prism forming an iridescent halo over Your throne. And your robe – it billows throughout the temple yet never touches the floor. It was fashioned by angels who wove fine threads of silver and gold to create a perfect seamless garment. They interwove beads made from light, light of every hue from the lightest yellow to the deepest blue. The six-winged Seraphim swoop and hover around your throne, their eyes covered out of respect for You. Their wings are made of clouds and stardust; their voices strong, clear like bells in perfect harmony. They love to worship You – it’s all they want to do for eternity. Their worship is so intense that even the walls and the floor tremble in praise to You. The room fills with smoke, but not a smoke that stings the eyes or burns the nose. It is a moist, pleasant smoke which feels like dew on the skin and smells so clean like the air in the Garden of Eden. I am moved to worship, but I utter only one word: holy. It’s the only word worthy of this vision. I open my eyes. The image is gone. But my spirit has been fed by what Isaiah saw. I am amazed by the fact that the most glorious image of You I can imagine is nothing compared to Your true likeness. And I am joyful that I will one day join the Seraphim in worship around Your throne.
Prayer for me
After meditating on Your holiness, my heart drops when I contemplate Peter’s exhortation for me to be holy. Holiness is found in places like Isaiah’s vision with angels and praise and smoke. Your words have been gathered into a book called the Holy Bible. I have never described myself as holy. It’s like the top rung of the ladder I have yet to reach. But when I dwell on Peter’s words, I gain a practical definition of holiness: Live each day with my mind and heart focused on the surety that I will see You, Jesus, and while I’m waiting for that moment, behave like You would want me to behave. This I can do. Not perfectly, but with Your Spirit teaching and exhorting me, the top rung of the ladder doesn’t seem out of reach.
Forgive me
Forgive me for allowing the torrent of unholiness around me to affect my desire to be holy and to hinder me from recognizing the holiness of others. Forgive me for my unholy actions: cynicism, doubt, impatience, pride. It’s time for me to examine my every action and ask myself, “Was that holy?”
Prayer for others
I pray for those who have convinced themselves that living a holy life is unattainable. Their past actions have been so damaging, they believe they are beyond redemption – they are too damaged to live a holy life. Send a convincer to them, Lord – someone who will share Your promise of love no matter their faults. They have the same opportunity to live a holy life as I do.
Thank You
Thank you for showing a snippet of Your glory to Isaiah. Just this glimpse of Your majesty has sustained the spirits of millions of Your children for generations. These visions are gifts that I hold in my mind so I may remember Your unrestricted wonder whenever I want.
More praise
Highest praise to You who is thrillingly, amazingly, and lovingly holy!
