TransitionSample

Transition: A Fresh Experience

“At the sound of [the] voices [of the seraphim] the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.” (Isaiah 6:4 NIV)

At a time of transition and uncertainty in the life of the prophet Isaiah, God was still going to fulfill his calling on the prophet’s life; but Isaiah had to be prepared for what God wanted him to do. What form did this preparation take? Notice that Isaiah didn’t merely study a book about God; he experienced God! This is the pattern that we see in Scripture repeatedly, whether we’re talking about Abraham, Moses, the apostle Peter, Paul, or so many others. Every time God is going to thrust someone out and use them for his glory, they seem to have a living encounter with God.

Isaiah was a prophet, so he was already well acquainted with the things of the Lord. But “in the year that King Uzziah died,” Isaiah was lifted into a new place with God. We all need new and fresh experiences with God the Holy Spirit. We can’t live on what God did last week or last year or when we were younger. Thank God for every time he’s ever met us, but since Satan is continually scheming against us, God has to pour fresh grace on his people repeatedly. We must go to God and say, “God, I need more of you…I need a fresh experience with you!”

Some say, “Just concentrate on sound doctrine and get your head right about God, and that’s enough.” But Isaiah didn’t just engage in a mental exercise about God. A person could do a study on all the attributes of God yet never experience him. But you and I, through the Holy Spirit, can indeed have a fresh encounter with God. We can sing the song “He Touched Me” (Bill Gaither/Gloria Gaither) and have it be fresh and new because the Holy Spirit is making it so.At a time of transition and uncertainty in the life of the prophet Isaiah, God was still going to fulfill his calling on the prophet’s life; but Isaiah had to be prepared for what God wanted him to do. What form did this preparation take? Notice that Isaiah didn’t merely study a book about God; he actually experienced God! This is the pattern that we see in Scripture over and over again, whether we’re talking about Abraham, Moses, the apostle Peter, Paul or so many others. Every time God is going to thrust someone out and use them for his glory, they seem to have a living encounter with God.

Isaiah was a prophet, so he was already well acquainted with the things of the Lord. But “in the year that King Uzziah died,” Isaiah was lifted up into a new place with God. We all need new and fresh experiences with God the Holy Spirit. We can’t live on what God did last week or last year or when we were younger. Thank God for every time he’s ever met us, but since Satan is continually scheming against us, God has to repeatedly pour fresh grace on his people. We must go to God and say, “God, I need more of you…I need a fresh experience with you!”

Some say, “Just concentrate on sound doctrine and get your head right about God and that’s enough.” But Isaiah didn’t just engage in a mental exercise about God. A person could do a study on all the attributes of God yet never experience him. But you and I, through the Holy Spirit, can indeed have a fresh encounter with God. We can sing the song, “He Touched Me” (Bill Gaither/Gloria Gaither) and have it be fresh and new because the Holy Spirit is making it so.

There’s something about experiencing God that sets the soul on fire. When believers have a fresh revelation of who God is, they want to tell others about him; and then, when they talk about God, there’s a living reality about it. They say, “You’ve got to know the Lord! See what he’s done in my life! He can do it for you!” And there’s a freshness about it. That’s available to every Christian today.

I’m not referring to fanaticism or emotionalism. We do need to study the Word and we do need sound Bible doctrine, but what is also vital—in our individual lives and in the life of the church—are fresh experiences with the Lord. If the prophet needed it, don’t we need it as well?