“…I saw the Lord…Then I said…Then I heard…” Isaiah 6:1b,5a,8a
The month of October has been a memorable time in one respect. On the 20th I had surgery to remove a cataract from my right eye. A number of people had shared with me the positive results that they had with this surgery, and I looked forward to better vision. Sure enough, I now have clearer sight with the obstruction of the cataract removed! For that I am very grateful.
As I prayed about what to write for this month’s devotional I thought about Isaiah and his vision as it is recorded in the opening verses of Isaiah 6. Just as I experienced some natural anxiety prior to my surgery, Isaiah was in a time of anxiety over the death of his friend, King Uzziah. As is often the case when His people are going through trying times, the Lord revealed Himself to the prophet in a special way, and the vision Isaiah saw was spectacular. He saw the Lord in His authority (seated on the throne of heaven), His majesty (lofty and exalted), surrounded by His family (filling the temple of heaven), His sanctity (Holy, Holy, Holy), His glory (the whole earth full of His glory), His energy (the foundations of the thresholds of heaven trembled) and His reality (the temple of heaven was filled with smoke). Wow! Double wow!!
Some quick thoughts about this passage: 1) It was here that Isaiah heard and answered the call to ministry (verse 8). 2) Before the prophet could hear and respond to God’s call on his life, it was needful for him to be cleansed (verses 6,7). 3) Before he could be cleansed, Isaiah had to see for himself that he was in desperate need of cleansing (verse 5). Before Isaiah could see his imperfections, He had to see the only One who is perfect (verses 1-4)!
So we come back to the title of the devotional this month, “The Blessing of Sight!” This is true in the natural world, and even truer in the spiritual world. Before any spiritual advancement, or growth takes place (beginning with salvation) there must be Light, or Vision. It is always and only the starting point, and John tells us in 1st John 1:5, “…that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”
The old Puritan preachers used to say, “If you want to be blessed, put yourself in the way of blessing.” If you want to see more of Christ and be more like Him, spend time in prayer with Him and in His Word. Put yourself in the way of blessing!
Jon Moore
