Day 1—MOON OR SUN?

(This one is about God).

LISTEN IN

The moon revolves around the earth, but the earth revolves around the sun. In our own lives, we are all tempted to shrink God down to moon-size, where he revolves around us. But the Bible paints a very different picture: a God so bright and glorious that he becomes the centre of our existence, not merely a religious compartment off to the side.

Although the world of the Bible and our modern world are very different, the God it describes has not changed at all. The many descriptions of God throughout Scripture serve like a compass, pointing us to the unchanging reality of who he is. Let’s read about one person’s encounter with him.

READ Isaiah 6:1–8

(1) In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

(2) Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. (3) And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

(4) At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

(5) “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

(6) Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. (7) With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

(8) Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

THINK ABOUT IT

What is God like?

See for yourself in the Bible passage above. Notice that he is:

• The eternal King (see verse (1), or v1). Earthly kings come and go, but God remains forever on his throne.
• High and exalted (v2). He is infinitely great and far above all creation.
• Holy (v3). This means he is absolutely pure and completely unique—set apart from everything else.
• LORD (v3). The Hebrew name here isYahweh, meaning “I am who I am”—the self-existent God who depends on nothing and no one.
• Almighty (v3). The title “LORD Almighty” speaks of his limitless power to act on behalf of those who cry out to him.
• Creator (v3). The whole universe exists because he made it.
• Glorious (v3). God’s glory is the radiant beauty of his perfect character. His glory fills the whole earth.

How should we respond in his presence?

When we truly encounter God, we respond much like Isaiah did. We worship him (like the angels do) (v3), tremble in awe (v4), acknowledge our sinfulness (v5), receive his forgiving and purifying touch (v7), and then offer ourselves for his purposes (v8).

LIVE IT

Do you believe God is really like the one described here?

If your life were compared to the solar system, is God more like a moon—or the sun?

STILL HUNGRY?

If you have the time, also read Isaiah 40:12–31 and Psalm 103 to learn more about God.