What Will He Find....

Yeah, it's a tad bit lengthy.... but I hope you enjoy it none-the-less. :) Lots of questions in this one too. :P

---Isaiah 2

“(2) Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and the nations shall flow to it.”
This is the beginning of a breathtaking account by Isaiah. What will Jesus find when he comes back? Or, since we know not the hour of His return, what would He find in our hearts RIGHT NOW? The nations will flow to Him, they WILL be humbled before His sight and upon feeling the intensity of Him and His majesty, they will want to be taught by Him. They will hunger just to be near to Him and yearn to simply tread on the same ground that He walks. But – “(4) He shall judge between the nations; and rebuke the peoples.” Again I ask- What would He find in our hearts? Would he find them loyal, pleasing, and passionate for Him or luke-warm, distracted and fat with sin? Would we be ashamed if the Lord was standing before us observing and judging not only our actions but also the condition of our hearts? Verse 10 - “Enter into the rock and hide in the dust, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty.” I can only imagine the guilty faces in the audience of Isaiah, as he spoke these words and they were reminded of how prevailing God is. I know that I take my relationship with God way to lightly. This is the God who makes men cower at His presence, at the sound of His voice and judgment; yet still we have the audacity to disobey Him, or take his commands lightly.

Job 37:1 – “At this, my heart pounds and leaps from its place. Listen! Listen to the roar of His voice, to the rumbling that comes from His mouth.”

I love how passionately and honestly Elihu is showing his love for God, here. It’s a deep, deep respect because He is so incredibly powerful. This is the voice that can split a mountain and bring life; yet, it can also speak so gently and lovingly to His children. Elihu was so desperately trying to get Job to look at the “big picture” and give glory, honor and praise to God, even in those terrible circumstances. When do I forget the intensity of those gentle words God may speak to me? -- When I’m with friends and it would seem so much easier to just give into sin, or maybe when God simply wants me to do something that I think looks too difficult? Is it too easy for me to disregard a Voice that can sound so sweet when, really, it comes from the greatest Authority? He deserves SO MUCH MORE than to be on the outskirts of our minds; yet that’s where we tend to put Him! Today, we had a showcase at co-op. One of the girls got up and sang “What Do I Know of Holy.” She had a gorgeous voice, but the lyrics were what gave me chills.

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all, No.
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were might to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know?What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life it's name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above What do I know of this love?

What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

The first stanza in itself almost brought me to tears. Do I make God “too small” or fear Him as I should? Do I shove His love away in my pride, forgetting how inferior I really am? But, coming back to Isaiah 2, He will “arise to shake the earth mightily,” and “The loftiness of men shall be bowed down. And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.”

Verse 22 says “Stop trusting a man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?” Man is so small; yet when we “give in” and live in/become accustomed to sin, we are putting tiny, little man above the great and mighty God in our hearts. A while back, I was studying Psalm 119. In verse 19 David says – “I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide your commandments from me.” We are creations of God; yes, we were created as part of the earth, but not to be in unison with it. After all, He set us apart from everything else by making us in His own likeness. So, if we’re strangers of the earth, why do we act (and believe) as if the world is more comfortable than fellowship with God? A stranger may feel welcomed into an unfamiliar place, but they are almost never as comfortable as they may have been in their home or native place. Do I treat God as if He is the stranger, rather than being a stranger to the world? It’s true, we may need to adopt some of the culture of the world, so that as effective vessels for Him, we can spread truth and word of the Life that comes from Him. But it’s another case of “in but not of.” I want to accept my relationship with God as “original,” and to be so close to God that his presence is effortlessly more inviting and satisfying than anything else. And the thing is, He has made that possible for us. He desires for us to “draw near” to Him so that, in turn, he may draw near to us. It blows my mind that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords wants to be as close as possible to such low and ungrateful souls as ours, but it’s still true. One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 27:19 “As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals a man.” And as I consider the immensity of His majesty as described in Isaiah 2, how could I even think of ignoring or belittling the relationship I’m allowed to have with God? It’s an issue of pride; pride that will eventually be shattered and exposed for its worthlessness in the day of my judgment, when I stand before God.
One last time I will ask - What will He find in our hearts?