The difference is in the experience.

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1, ESV)

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between those who have a deep devotion to the Lord and those who do not? I am talking about those believers who never miss a worship experience, who dig into their Bibles daily, and who exude that certain radiance that displays their love for God. What can explain this difference? I believe that the difference is in the experience.

What do I mean by, “The difference is in the experience?” Look at this experience of Isaiah. It changed his life. Most presume that Isaiah was in the Temple, though we cannot be certain for his vision has a heavenly perspective. At the time King Uzziah has died and the nation is in a state of disarray. Isaiah sees a heavenly and glorious vision of the Lord, on “a throne, high and lifted up.” He sees and hears the angels worshipping God saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” What he experienced here had a profound impact on his life.

Isaiah’s response to this experience with God is profound. First, he comes under conviction of his own sin. He states, “Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips.” His experience resulted in his purification as one of the seraphim takes a coal from the altar and touched his mouth with it, stating, “Behold this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

We must understand that Isaiah lived among a nation of people who had moved into apostasy and they had an influence on his perception of his own life. We do not realize the influence that the culture has on us. People, even professing believers, easily have a morphing of moral values into the cultural mores. It is only an experience with the Most High, His glory, and His holiness, which can open our eyes to see how far we have slid down the slippery slope. We will not be aware of our own moral peril if our vision is worldly. Only a heavenly vision of God’s holiness will establish a perspective that will alarm us to the moral depravity around us.

Secondly, this vision of the Most High moved Isaiah to join God in service. The Lord says, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” To this Isaiah responded, “Here am I! Send me.” Isaiah’s commission to serve came in the context of an experience with God. It was not self-made, it was heaven commanded. It is interesting that the same people that exude a great depth of devotion to the Lord are the same people who the Lord uses in serving Him. Devotion and powerful service tie hand in hand. Some can hold positions in a church without devotion. However, those who are devoted to the Lord experience something in their service that is markedly supernatural, powerful, and fulfilling.

The difference is experience, but it is not an earthly experience. The difference is a heavenly experience. How do we get this heavenly experience? The Scripture here just tells us that Isaiah saw this vision and does not tell us how. I believe that the fact that he saw this vision implies that he sought for God. His experience with God and his seeking for God were mutually dependent. The writer of Proverbs gives us this challenge.

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.” (Proverbs 8:17, ESV)

The Lord’s challenge for every believer and every person is to seek Him with a whole heart. If the devotion is not there the only way to have it is to seek the Lord. If you wholeheartedly seek Him and do not quit, you will find and have that awesome experience with the Lord.

There was an issue with getting the video attached to yesterday’s post. For those who may have been looking for it, here is the YouTube link. https://youtu.be/Jkkcx667Qi4