Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
In the Presence of the Lord
Isaiah six begins with the prophet seeing the Lord sitting on His throne. It is a majestic scene. It is a passage worth reading every time you worship God. Isaiah stood in the presence of the Lord.
What a remarkable picture: In the presence of the Lord. Moses understood this as the Lord spoke to him from the burning bush. He was instructed to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. Moses stood in the presence of the Lord.
John understood this as he saw the door in Heaven opened in Revelation four. He saw God on His throne. John was in the presence of the Lord.
Peter understood this when the Lord commanded him to cast out in the deep and let down his nets. This came after a day of unsuccessful fishing. A carpenter told the fisherman how to fish. The catch, however, was so enormous that the boat began to sink. Peter realized that he stood in the presence of the Lord.
I wonder if we have lost what it means to stand in the presence of God? Jesus promised, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name there I am in their midst" (Matt. 18:20).
The presence of the Lord reveals His holiness. Isaiah's vision and John's Revelation both describe the holiness and grandeur of God. He is not like us. He is good. He is pure. He is holy.
The presence of the Lord reveals the sinfulness of man. Isaiah proclaimed, "I am ruined! I am a man of unclean lips ... for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" (6:5). Peter cried out, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord" (Luke 5:8). Grasping the holiness of God made them realize how "un-holy" they were.
The presence of the Lord commands reverence. Casualness, flippancy and commonness were not the attitudes of those who stood in the presence of the Lord. They stood before God. They stood in awe and fear. They spoke with dignity and respect. They understood their position as well as God's position.
When we come to worship the Lord, we stand in His presence. May we understand-how special this is. May we come to God with humility and reverence. This is much more than "going to church" — we stand in the presence of the Lord.
— In Biblical Insights, September 2006
