Suddenly, Isaiah stood in the temple, now immense, filled with terrible, glorious light that pierced like a thousand caressing swords. Terrifying desire drew his eyes to the brilliant throne above the Ark. The Lord sat, splendid, more real than life, surrounded by the hosts of heaven. Isaiah’s soul emptied in one agonized cry, “O God! How can I see You and live?”

Indeed. The wise fear Him with good reason. Standing before life’s Giver means also standing before life’s Judge. No one hides. Everything opens. All pretense, lies, and sin evaporate, leaving only the holy. Yet, Isaiah lived. How?

The Sun beats our world with its fierce, one-million-mile-per-hour solar wind. The source of summer heat and meadow light also pummels us with radiation that sometimes fries satellites, disrupts radio systems, blackens cities, and damages major pipelines. It can destroy life as we know it. Yet, every plant and creature flourishes. How?

God formed this planet with a liquid iron core and a large moon to stir it. Their interaction creates a magnetic field surrounding the entire earth that points compass needles north, guides birds across continents, and, like a raincoat, deflects the solar wind. Likewise, Peter revealed God’s survival gift, “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

So, how has His mighty hand lifted you up lately?

Isaiah 6:1-8; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Colossians 3:12-14; 1 Peter 5:5-7