by Allison Martin
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Revelation 4:2
Have you ever just needed God to speak? Have you ever needed to hear Him speak straight to the heart of the matter, exactly the answer you’re searching for? If so, you’re in good company. More than that, you’re in a good position. It is often the uncertainties and trials of life that open our hearts to what God has been saying all along.
Just ask Isaiah.
Most of our familiarity with this prophet is because of his encounter with God in Isaiah 6. And what makes his story so powerful is not just what he saw in heaven’s throne room, but the storms of his personal life that got him there. We read through those words about King Uzziah without impact. But those words were much harder for Isaiah to write than they are for us to read.
From what I can understand, King Uzziah had a promising start. Under his leadership, the nation prospered as it hadn’t in generations. For decades, everything went very well. Until it didn’t. The nation’s prosperity planted a seed in the heart of Uzziah that would eventually destroy him: pride. The buildup of his pride culminated in a grave error. Uzziah arrogantly assumed that the boundaries God had established didn’t apply to him, and that he could cross those lines unpunished. He was wrong. Leprosy instantly turned him from royalty into an exile.
The throne of Judah was, in a moment, emptied. We know from the times we are living in just how distressing such political and social unrest can be. For the people of Judah, a time of upheaval and confusion had begun.
So it is here that God begins to speak. In the darkness of uncertainty, and the silence of despair. It is in the midst of this chaos that Isaiah pens one of the most comforting truths a child of Gods can cling to: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1)
In the midst of great turmoil, God had a message for Isaiah and for His people: Heaven’s throne is still occupied. No war, no dictator, no disease, and no unrest can empty it. There will never be an overthrow or time of transition. The God who has your best interest at heart will never be replaced. Heaven’s message for a distressed man of God rang out: the chaos of earth did not reach the courts of glory. Though Isaiah’s world was shaken, the Hand that held his world remained unmovable.
Friend, can I remind you of the truth that we know in our heads but wrestle with in our hearts? When your world is crumbling, the Hand that holds your world remains steady.
When the anxiety and uncertainty feels suffocating, remember that things look different from the throne’s perspective.
Isaiah saw God in His rightful place. Over 800 years later, a simple fisherman turned preacher named John saw him in the same place he has been all throughout history, through every moment of your life. From the tiniest detail to the hardest trial, each have been seen by a loving God on His throne.
Can’t believe me? Ask Him to speak the assurance to your heart that my words could never bring. I think He’s been waiting to.
