The question comes at the end of Chapter 1 of The Holiness of God
by R. C. Sproul.I ponder. My first thought of holiness, always the same - Isaiah completely undone by the presence of the Lord. (Isaiah 6:1-4).
Have I ever been there, felt those same stirrings as Isaiah? I was overwhelmed by Him the first time my sin confronted me and I stood there, naked and ashamed. I sat on my bed, toes deep in the thick weave of carpeting and a Bible open on the squares of green and white, when the filth of my sin found me and the Prince traded my dirty shepherd's clothing for his royal robe.
I was amazed by Him when I stepped into the streets of Lima, hundreds of bodies pressing toward me as their eager hands reached for the regalo I held out, the free and priceless Word.
I was lost in Him when we learned our life would take a different path. I've been humbled by Him as we walk on this new path. This morning, I was in awe of Him as I watched men being pulled up from the very bowels of the earth.
But then...
Have I ever just fallen at His feet to worship in utter abandon?
Have I ever sought to make His Name hallowed?
Do I pray that others will consider His Name holy?
That I will consider His Name holy?
I bow my head and hot tears pool in the corners of my eyes. It is not enough to see Him through the veil of my flesh and earthly wisdom. I want to know Him more. To see Him in all His splendor. To drink His holiness in until I am drunk with it.
Today, I draw a line in the sand. I gingerly step over it and set my eyes on the Holy One.
And pray for grace to never look back.
4 comments:
This is good, Melissa. I've been contemplating His holiness, too, reading the same book. Praying with you for grace to never look back...
Melissa, same here, reading the same book too.
Thank you for the questions you raised, I am jotting them in my journal. More to ponder, more to consider in prayer.
That we may see Him, face to face!
My heart resonates with this...longing to see Him more clearly. As Sproul said, "A new thirst was born within me that could never be fully satisfied in this world" (pg. 14). This reminds me of some of the things that John Piper says in "When I Don't Desire God" as well.
"The full enjoyment of God is my ultimate home, but I am still far off and only on the way" (pg. 14, When I Don't Desire God by John Piper). Praise God for the desire!!
"...finite creatures like us, who have a spiritual taste for the glory of God, will always want more of God than we presently experience--even in eternity. There will always be more of God to enjoy. Which means there will always be holy desire--forever. In this age that is frustrating. We kick ourselves that our cravings for lesser things compete with God as the satisfaction of our souls. Rightly so. This is godly grief. We do well to be convicted and penitent...But the truth that the finite soul will always want more of God than it presently experiences will not be frustrating in the age to come. Then when we are perfected and have our resurrection bodies, the longing that remain will not be because sin is competing with God for our affections. Rather the reason will be that finite minds cannot receive the fullness of infinite greatness and glory . It must be given in (glorious but manageable) increments every day for eternity" (pgs. 27-28, When I Don't Desire God by John Piper).
I love your thoughts, Melissa! My husband (who is also reading) immediately thought of Is. 6 also.
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