"Discovering God"

  He was known as a great leader and man of strength for the people. The man continually sought the face of the Lord and destroyed places that desecrated His name. He became famous throughout the world and very strong militarily for the people. His name was King Uzziah. King Uzziah brought dignity and power to God's people. One thing cost him dearly. With all his strength and fame came a proud heart. It seems to always happen and his pride got the best of him. Because of his power as king, he felt he could enter into the temple of God where the priests were only allowed and burn his own incense. The result: the Lord struck him with leprosy. To the day of his death, he was a leper.

  Isaiah speaks of the death of King Uzziah (Isa. 6). What a major blow to Israel. Israel's great hero was gone but something else happens. God shows Himself to be alive and in control! Too many put their faith, their trust in man. Isaiah believed deeply in God but also in this king. One can't do both! In all this we find a truthful reality: no matter what happens among man in disappointments or tragedy of life, God lives and rules and wants us to know it!

  I pray that God may grant to each one of us that if and when tragedy comes into our lives, we will find ourselves as Isaiah, "in the temple" discovering that God is sitting in Majesty and power. We find hurts that come and sometimes the pain is intense and there is God, waiting for you and I to look and seek. Even though things around us change, He doesn't. I pray the words Isaiah spoke might be the words we speak in faith: "In the year of King Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple." (Isa. 6:1) May we discover and say: "In the year that my wife/husband (son/daughter or someone else) died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted..." "In the year our business went under, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted..." "In the year my marriage folded, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted..." "In the year when our little baby was born with defects, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted..." We need to discover the greatness and awesome power of Jehovah God!