Isaiah 6:4 "And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke."
The other day I was leaving church after having stopped by to do some studying before prayer meeting. As I was walking toward my vehicle I began to consider the day. It was a little cool that day, slightly overcast, and there was just a hint of smoke in the air. Not smelly cigarette smoke or the pungent smell of leaves burning, but it was the smell of someone heating their home with a wood-burning stove.
I then began to imagine what that home looked like and what the people inside it where doing. I could picture a cozy little home with a small family inside. It was around Thanksgiving so I pictured that family preparing to spend time with one another over the holiday giving thanks to God for the blessings and challenges in their lives. Right about then my phone rang and snapped me back to reality, but not before it made me think of a spiritual application.
My mind went back to the Old Testament to Isaiah's vision. He beheld a vision of the Lord in the temple and when the Lord was there it was filled with smoke (Isa 6:4). I also thought of Mt Sinai. When the Lord descended upon the mountain it too was covered in smoke (Ex 19:18). It made me wonder how many of us have the Lord in our lives to the extent that we become filled with this "holy smoke". And if we have God how willing are we to let the world around us know about Him? If you have ever been around a camp fire you know that because of the laws of physics the smoke seems to follow you. It is nearly impossible to be close to the camp fire and walk away without smelling like smoke to some degree; even if there is just a hint of it. You usually need to wash to coat you had been wearing to get rid of the smokey smell.
But what about the hint of God-smoke in our lives. Have we spent enough time with the Lord that we have that "smokey" smell for Jesus? Is there anything in our lives that allows people who do not have Jesus to get a sniff of His goodness? My challenge to you all today is to immerse yourself in God that you too might be filled with His "smokey" goodness. I challenge you to live so close to Jesus that the world cannot help but come in contact with the God when they meet you.
This does not happen just because we go to church or own a Bible. We must move beyond mere association with God. We must develop a relationship with Him through daily prayer and Bible study. It is through these devotional moments that we can learn to experience Christ in such a way that it permeates our lives and affects the world around us.
Dear Father in Heaven,
It is my prayer today that You would teach us to lean on you fully. I pray that You would place within us a desire to spend time with You each day in both prayer and study of Your Word. May Your holy smoke fill us too that we might share You with the world around us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
The other day I was leaving church after having stopped by to do some studying before prayer meeting. As I was walking toward my vehicle I began to consider the day. It was a little cool that day, slightly overcast, and there was just a hint of smoke in the air. Not smelly cigarette smoke or the pungent smell of leaves burning, but it was the smell of someone heating their home with a wood-burning stove.
I then began to imagine what that home looked like and what the people inside it where doing. I could picture a cozy little home with a small family inside. It was around Thanksgiving so I pictured that family preparing to spend time with one another over the holiday giving thanks to God for the blessings and challenges in their lives. Right about then my phone rang and snapped me back to reality, but not before it made me think of a spiritual application.
My mind went back to the Old Testament to Isaiah's vision. He beheld a vision of the Lord in the temple and when the Lord was there it was filled with smoke (Isa 6:4). I also thought of Mt Sinai. When the Lord descended upon the mountain it too was covered in smoke (Ex 19:18). It made me wonder how many of us have the Lord in our lives to the extent that we become filled with this "holy smoke". And if we have God how willing are we to let the world around us know about Him? If you have ever been around a camp fire you know that because of the laws of physics the smoke seems to follow you. It is nearly impossible to be close to the camp fire and walk away without smelling like smoke to some degree; even if there is just a hint of it. You usually need to wash to coat you had been wearing to get rid of the smokey smell.
But what about the hint of God-smoke in our lives. Have we spent enough time with the Lord that we have that "smokey" smell for Jesus? Is there anything in our lives that allows people who do not have Jesus to get a sniff of His goodness? My challenge to you all today is to immerse yourself in God that you too might be filled with His "smokey" goodness. I challenge you to live so close to Jesus that the world cannot help but come in contact with the God when they meet you.
This does not happen just because we go to church or own a Bible. We must move beyond mere association with God. We must develop a relationship with Him through daily prayer and Bible study. It is through these devotional moments that we can learn to experience Christ in such a way that it permeates our lives and affects the world around us.
Dear Father in Heaven,
It is my prayer today that You would teach us to lean on you fully. I pray that You would place within us a desire to spend time with You each day in both prayer and study of Your Word. May Your holy smoke fill us too that we might share You with the world around us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
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