The Coming Down of the Lord
Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence! As fire causes wood to burn and water to boil, your coming would make the nations tremble. . . . When you came down long ago, you did awesome things beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! Isaiah 64:1-4
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When almighty God “comes down,” he comes in awesome, majestic ways. So often, when we least expect to experience or hear from God, that is when he surprises us with his presence and his voice. That is when a breakthrough in a situation happens; the darkness lifts, and we see the light of day. Sometimes because of impatience or discouragement, we wonder if God is able to help us, and we no longer expect him to “come down.” But this passage from Isaiah encourages us not to lose the expectancy of his moving in our lives. It urges us to wait for God and calls us to remember that it is through his mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and the shed blood of his Son that we are even allowed to stand in awe of him who causes mountains to quake and nations to tremble. Before time began, no one has even imagined or seen a God like our God, who works on behalf of those who wait for him.
Prayers:
LORD, I stand in awe of you! I thank you for doing such awesome things, for working beyond my highest expectations. And you continue to do them for those who wait for you. Help me to wait for you with hope. Fill me with a holy expectancy of your coming, and glorify yourself through my life.
Quotes:
IN MY HEART I DO HAVE A FEAR. . . . I LONG TO GROW MORE GODLY WITH EACH PASSING DAY. CALL IT “THE FEAR OF THE LORD,” BEING IN AWE OF HIM AND SCARED TO DEATH OF ANY SIN THAT WOULD MAR MY LIFE AT THIS POINT.
Anne Ortlund
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Isaiah 62:6–65:25; Philippians 2:19–3:3; Psalm 73:1-28 and Proverbs 24:13-14.
