Off me & onto Him....

What do you think about during the day?

Any of these ring a bell?....
-Do I look good today?
-I wonder how I can get him to like me better?
-How can I get what i want when I want it?
-When am I going to get the recognition I deserve?

We are extremely self absorbed people. Always worried about number one. Sometimes consciously, but most the time subconsciously because that's what we have been trained to do by our culture. What we need to realize is that self absorption only leads to two things: Pride and shame. If we think we're doing well, we feel superior to people, but if we feel that we aren't measuring up , then we feel like failures.
The point is to get the attention off of you and onto something that is actually worthy of your attention. When we start to get the slightest clue of what God is like then we quickly realize that we fall way short.
Check it:
In Isaiah 6:1-5 the Cherubs whilst sounding a little peculiar looking, to us small minded earth bound people, are teaching us a valuable lesson. They having six wings. They used two pair of them just to cover their eyes. They did this because God is so holy that his holiness cannot even be looked upon. In doing this they are making a point. His majesty and holiness swamp our petty selfishness and our pride is shattered. We are broken, helpless, and hopeless-unless God himself touches us.
It starts with our view of God. See what we like to do is dumb God down, bring him down to our level. We say things like, "Jesus is my homeboy," and call God things like, "the man upstairs." And yes his word does say that God is our friend, but we must not forget that God came down off his mighty throne to stand beside us. He is your creator, the creator of the universe!!!! He is comparable to NO one!
Once we start understanding who God truly is, then the change in our view really begins to take place when our eyes are opened to who and what we are. See we can't realize how good he is until we become painfully aware of how bad we are. Most of us like to think we're pretty good, and we walk around with that perception. Even if we don't say it, we think it. It shows in our actions. We try to handle things on our own how we would like to see it handled and think is best. Then when we screw things up and it starts to fall out we quickly run to God and ask him to fix it. Here's an idea, what if we finally wrapped our minds around the concept that God's ways are best all the time, every time. What if we finally came to terms with who we are, and that there is no good in us. Our flesh wants to please only itself and that isn't going to get us anywhere expect in big trouble. What if our eyes were finally opened to who God really is and who we really are? What if we stopped trying to control the details of our lives and let God? Here's the tricky part. That realization always brings us face to face with change, and here is where we loose people. All of our self-centered plans and goals will be ruined. Just lost a few more. Relationships, how we spend our time and money, laziness and discipline, how we love, and who we love and obey....everything will be turned upside down. Now we're beginning to weed out those who really believe with those who conveniently believe. See when this happens our lives will be driven by conviction not convenience.
So how do we go about receiving this new perception and outlook of ourselves and our God?
Simple....
God has to reveal himself to you...
We can try to prepare our hearts and put ourselves in a position to be receptive to God's voice, but ultimately the Lord himself must break through our calloused hearts to show us what he is like.
How does God do this?
Sadly, in most of us we become so content and comfortable that God has to use something in our lives to wake us up. Something that makes us feel insecure and that we need and depend on God alone. Maybe like:
-a move/graduation
-a job/ministry change
-a broken relationship
-sickness
-a deep dissapointment
See Stability often produces passivity so he has to use something that breaks our hearts, reveals our needs, and somehow opens us to listen.
Just like with Isaiah...
Isaiah was at an extreme point of insecurity because the King had just died. He was insecure of who the next king would be and what change that would bring upon the nation. That was a very very big and at times a scary change. Because the King could turn the nation in whatever direction he chose.  So Isaiah cried out to the Lord......and what did God do?
He answered.....
He gave Isaiah a gift....
The gift of seeing the reality. The reality of who God was and who he really was. Isaiah quickly realized that he was ruined. That before a holy God his depravity was made well aware. He even cried out, "I am ruined, I am not what I should be!"
Have you ever had that experience? Where you realize you're not all that you thought you were? If not.....it will come sooner or later. How will you respond? Will you see God for who He is? or will you continue fooling yourself into thinking you can do things your way that you've got things under control?
Here's the best part!!!!!
What happened next?
Is. 6:6-7
Isaiah realized exactly who he was and what he lacked before God and God touched him! God healed him. God's grace covered him. God's mercy overcame him!
See here's the real deal. The angel took a coal, a burning coal, and touched it to his mouth. Ouch right? But what did that gain? When a wound is infected, a doctor may stop the infection by cauterizing the wound. He takes a red hot tool and sears it, burning away the rotten flesh and leaving only what can heal. This seems like a drastic method, and yes it may be, but it is also effective. The burning coal touched to Isaiah's lips seared the sin and burned the guilt! Leaving him freedom to heal from his sin and serve the Lord! He was made complete because his eyes were opened and he realized who is was before the Lord. He was given the gift of seeing with his own eyes exactly who God is and who He was before him and it radically changed his life! So here's the question.....
Have I seen God?
Have I been radically changed?
Do I really understand who I am before such a holy God?
Do I place way to much importance on myself and what I think is best?
I dunno just spend some time thinking about it. And if the answer is no and you haven't, my suggestion is hit your knees and ask God to allow you to see him for who is his. When you do, When you truly see God, everything else will quickly follow suit. Especially your wants, needs, and desires.
Love you!
(References From: Isaiah 6, A call to Die, Nasser)
Ran