Awesome God

 The calling of Isaiah. This is probably what Isaiah saw.

By Benjamin H. Liles

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant [promise, ally, treaty]. My eyes are ever toward the Lord, For He shall pluck my feet out of the net [snare]. ~ Psalm 25:14-15, NKJV

I recall years ago when my family and I vacationed in Nevada. I had turned rwenty-one a few months before the trip. My parents asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday. Naturally, I said, "Las Vegas." So, the week around Christmas (my sister's birthday is the 24th) we headed to Las Vegas, Nevada. While we were there we saw Hoover Dam (that was a spectacular view), went to a few casinos, took in one show--which to be honest put me off, and even visited a Native American site. What I remember most was our visit to the Grand Canyon. Talk about a view! This is a vast gorge carved out by mighty, rushing waters which today you have to truly hike to to see the river. My point in getting to viewing the Grand Canyon is it's majestic and panoramic view. I have a picture on one wall with a 360 view of almost the same area.

Now if seeing something like this is majestic, what about actually seeing God? What would be more awe inspiring than "practically" coming face to face with the Lord of Hosts? Isaiah records his view of God: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory!” (6:1-3)

Isaiah continues. "So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King,

The Lord of hosts" (v. 5).

How would you feel making friends with someone who had true and endless power such as the God of all Creation? I can liken it to meeting a president of a country. No, not impressive? Well, how about meeting your favorite celebrity? I'm not making an argument for idol worship. I'm showing how you would feel meeting someone that we deem as "important."

God is ever more important to me. I can count endless time, even lately, where I want nothing more than to simply be at Jesus' feet. More than that I love His voice. Here's something Jesus said, "You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you" (John 15:14, 15, Berean Study). Why do I use those verses? When God shows His people something He doesn't do it simply because He sees a servant. He has plenty at His command. No, God shows His people things through prophets, and messengers, apostles, disciples, etc. as they have standing with Him.

Recall one of the first times God talked to man? He showed Himself to a humble man named Abram. He told him, "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3, New King James). Abram did what God said: "So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran" (Genesis 12:4). Time and time again God showed Abram something, and every time Abram did as he was told by God. He walked with God and as a result God walked with him.

Today, God walks with us through the person and His Son Jesus Christ. We have Him. We have His words as revealed to us by men He called disciples, and in return they did what Jesus said, thus they were His apostles. They weren't servants. They were His friends. So, this is my challenge to you: be a friend to God. Listen to His voice. Read His words to you in His holy word, the Bible. Do what He says and love Him, first and foremost. Then love others as you would want them to love and care for you. God gave us His Son, Jesus, to serve us. Knowing this then we should desire to love and serve others as Jesus did on our behalf. He alone is awesome. He is also God. To finish, Jesus said, "If you had known Me, you would also have known My Father. From now you know Him, and have seen Him. Jesus replied, "Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" (John 14:7, 9, Berean Study).