Listen to Isaiah’s words: “Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down!” Isaiah is longing for God to come near, longing for the presence of the Lord. He is almost heartsick for him—our living water, our breath of life. Isaiah looks back to the old days, when Israel walked with God through the wilderness and met him at Mount Sinai. Now those were the days, Isaiah feels.
But it isn’t like that anymore. And why? Because the people have done evil in their words and thoughts and actions; they have cut themselves off from the Source of life, from God Himself, and they suffer for it. And Isaiah confesses that this is true of him as well.
It’s true of us, too, isn’t it? We too have sinned. We too have wandered far from the Lord, and we long for the God we forsook. But just like Isaiah and the people of Israel, we cannot get back to God’s presence on our own. Either God rends the heavens and comes down, or we are lost. It is that simple.
From his point in history, Isaiah pleads with God. “Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever.” Isaiah has hope because he knows that God is merciful. But from our point in history, we have something even better—the knowledge that God has already heard our prayers, has opened the heavens and come down—as the Man Jesus Christ, our Savior, born to deliver us.
Now we don’t need to long for the good old days of God’s presence at Sinai. We have something far better—God in the flesh, bearing our sins on the cross, and leaving them behind in the grave as He rises from the dead three days later. Now we have Jesus, who is our life and salvation. Our longing hearts can be satisfied, because He has said to us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5b).
THE PRAYER: Lord, let me live always in Your presence. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. When do you feel lonely or sad?
2. What do you do when you feel a longing for God?
3. How do you know that Jesus is with you, whether you feel Him or not?