I See the Lord

Isaiah 6:1-3 says, “In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”’

Isaiah had a vision from the Lord, a glimpse into what was currently happening in heaven. He saw the Lord rightly seated in the place of honor, and his ears heard the melodies and lyrics that have been on repeat around the throne. Isaiah’s response to this reality was to recognize his own unworthiness; his own glory was no match for what he was witnessing.

This happens to us so often in God’s presence. We want, we actually need, God to be Holy. He is set apart from this world; perfect in love, perfect in justice. He is sovereign and pure. It’s easy for us to try to put ourselves in a position only God can fill. We try to be on the throne of our own lives, and we wonder why we are left feeling empty. There is only one who is holy, and that is a good thing!

When we truly encounter the holiness of God, our response is similar to Isaiah’s: we realize we don’t belong on the throne at all. Experiencing God in all His glory enables us to feel rightfully lowly, unfit for the task of stewarding sovereignty over our lives. When He is on the throne of our hearts, we step into the life that God has for us. This is the life worth living because it is situated in the reality of who is actually worthy, who is actually fit to be King over our lives. “I See the Lord” was written to take our eyes off ourselves and be reminded that He is holy and worthy to be praised. It gives us a chance to turn away from the areas of our lives that we have made about ourselves and to instead turn our gaze back to Him.

We get to join with the angels in heaven singing, “Holy is the Lord our God!” This brings the reality of heaven into our current space, reminding us that the earth and all its fullness belong to the Lord.

Reflection Questions:

1. Think back on a time when you encountered God’s presence — what did that feel like? What did it inspire in you? Did you feel joy, peace, and contentment? Were there areas or situations in your life that felt like they didn’t belong anymore, standing in stark contrast to the glory of his presence?
2. Do you struggle to give God control? Why do you think it’s hard to surrender our own sovereignty over our lives to God? Sing through “I See the Lord” and imagine laying your life—your burdens, struggles, hopes, anxieties at His feet.