December 8, 2020 (Tuesday)
Day 10 of the 26 days of Advent.
When we celebrate Christmas, we look backward and forward.
We remember the story of Jesus birth. We see images if shepherds and listen to
sermons about wise men. We sing songs about a silent night and put on pageants
and cantata’s. But Christmas has a component of looking forward to what it will
be like when Jesus returns.
Isaiah paints this picture, “Then the Lord will
create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by
day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the
glory there will be a canopy.” [Isaiah 4:5 CEB] I am fascinated by
this image.
The image of a cloud by day and the flaming fire by night
goes back to when God delivered Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. This cloud
and pillar of fire lead the people through the wilderness. It lead them to safety,
gave shelter from the sun and cold of the wilderness, and lead them to life
sustaining water. It was also the physical presence of God among the people.
How many knew that cloud and pillar of fire would show up
again? There will be a day when God will purge the “filth” through a “wind of judgement and a searing wind” (see Isaiah 4:4 ESV]. One thing
we miss, as the church tries to pretend to be less judgmental, is the reality
that God settles for nothing less than holiness.
Let’s’ not forget, “Work at living in peace with
everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not
see the Lord.” [Hebrews
12:14 NLT] I think were the church got off track on this holiness thing is we
started to look at others rather than being serious about our own lives. If I
read Isaiah 4 correctly, the only ones left are those who are holy.
As I stood and touched the “wailing wall,” I had a vision of
a purging fire consuming everything and everyone unholy. There came into my
soul a bitterness and anger over the filth and an overpowering prayer to see
this cleansing. I wept, wailing uncontrollably. There is more to the story…
It was not until I was working on this devotional that I
realize, what I was seeing was the fulfillment of Isaiah 4:3 – 6. To be honest,
at the time of that one and only “vision,” I was not consciously aware of
Isaiah’s words.
So there it is, you are either a Christ follower, or you
will be eternally crispy. You are either holy, or you will be eternally wholly
regretful. You will spend eternity sheltered in the presence of God, or you
will find yourself eternally shattered in the lake of fire.
The good news… you get to choose your eternal destiny.
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