Worship - One Year Devotions for Women

In a great chorus they sang, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” The glorious singing shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke. - Isaiah 6:3-4

The temple shook at the voice of him who cried. I used to think that this verse referred to God, but then I realized the text reveals it is the voice of the angel that shakes heaven. If such a tumult occurs at the voice of an angel, whatever will happen when God himself speaks?

We take the privilege of worship far too lightly. We get too chummy with God, or try to bring him down to our level. A friend he is—but an almighty Friend, a holy Friend. As we come to understand his ineffable nature, we shall be saved from irreverent attitudes in prayer. And yet he encourages us to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” (Hebrews 4:16). It is because Jesus our Advocate is at the right hand of God that we dare to come boldly before his throne.

When God’s angels acknowledged God’s Person and attributed worth to him, “the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke.” This undoubtedly refers to the shekinah glory—the presence of God made manifest. So when you and I attribute worth to God in worship, heaven is moved and God will show himself—if not to the world, certainly to the worshiper. The awesome reality of God may cause us fear, as it did Isaiah, but it hopefully will lead us to submission and a deep desire to serve our lost world.

For Further Study: Isaiah 6:1-13

Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.

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