Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Planning”
Our Bible verse for today: “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple.” Isaiah 6:1 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “God will fill the emptiness with His own presence.”
Uzziah is commonly remembered in the history of Israel as “good” King Uzziah. He was a man who loved the Lord and who had a desire to serve Him well. For decades Uzziah looked to Isaiah for counsel and for spiritual leadership and consequently, the two were very close. When Uzziah died it must have been difficult for Isaiah. A friend whom he loved and who he had spent much time with for many years was now gone. That must have left a huge hole in Isaiah’s heart and in his life.
It was during this time of loss that Isaiah had this magnificent vision of the Lord that’s recorded for us in Isaiah chapter six. I personally believe the Lord was helping to fill the loss in Isaiah’s life with an increased awareness of His own presence. In the commentary notes that go along with this passage in Isaiah, the editors of the Daily Walk Bible offered this observation, “Every loss leaves a space that can be filled by God’s presence.”
I was startled when I read that because I have used almost those same exact words numerous times over the years as I have ministered to those suffering with the loss of a loved one. More times than I can count I have prayed that God would fill the emptiness in their lives with an increased awareness of His own presence, and I have counseled the individuals to deal with the loss by dedicating a lot of extra time to being with the Lord.
That statement is truer than we realize. “Every loss leaves a space that can be filled by the presence of God.” But we have to seek the presence of God. Whether the loss we’re experiencing is the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a debilitating health problem that has taken away some of our physical ability, or any one of a number of other kinds of losses, God will move right in and fill that empty place in our lives – if we ask Him to. We have to seek Him. We have to plan for it. In other words, we have to make the adjustments in our lives to spend extra time with God, in a wide variety of ways, and invite Him into that empty space.
That plan can and should include more time in prayer and Bible reading, increased attendance at the gatherings of your church family, and increased time spent with other Christians. God will fill the empty places in our lives that are created by a loss, but we have to invite Him into those places.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 