"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up." Isa. 6:1)

Uzziah had been one of the truly great kings of God's people. He had led them in a time of propserity and peace. Not only, that, however, Uzziah had been Isaiah's good friend. So when we read this verse of scripture, it is a time of great future uncertainty for Isaiah, as well as a time of personal grief. And the prophet says in that moment of difficulty, "I saw the Lord."

God is always right on time, everytime. I remember a verse that went something like this:
I walked a mile with pleasure,
She chattered all the way;
But I was none the wiser,
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with sorrow,
Not a word said she,
But O the things I learned from her,
When sorrow walked with me.

Look at the result of this time of difficulty in Isaiah's life. "I saw the Lord." God visited with HIm and reminded him of something very important. The future hope of God's people did not rest in a political leader. Notice that when Isaiah saw the Lord, God was still seated on His throne. Uzziah's death did not take God by surprise. Nothing ever does.

Today, remember, whatever the difficulties of your life are, God is not suprised or even anxious. He is not wringing His hands in heaven saying, "I wasn't expecting this." He is still in control. Why don't you take a moment and thank Him that He can handle your situation, if you will trust Him.

Finish Well

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," (Heb. 12:1)

God's Word compares living the Christian life to running a race, a marathon, however, not a sprint. We know all too well that not everyone who begins the race ends well. Jesus once described the sowing of the seed of God's Word in a parable of a variety of soils. Some seed fell on the path that was hardened from travelers passing over it. The seed never penetrated that soil. Other seed fell on ground that was shallow with rocks just under the surface. It sprang up quickly but had no depth for its roots and soon died. Other fell on thorny ground, where it was eventually choked out by the cares of this world, He said. Some managed, however, to fall on good soil where it sprang up and bore fruit for the Kingdom.

Our mistake in the modern church is thinking we are the good soil. So let me just ask, how are you doing in running life's race? It is not so much how you start as how you finish that makes the difference. Consider a man named Demas. We first are introduced to him in Philemon 24 where Paul describes him as a fellow servant. The book of Colossians, written at a later day desribes him simply as Demas. No superlatives or accolades to accompany his mention. Once a fellow servant, a leader among believers, now just a part of the pack. The real tragedy of his life is mentioned when we get to 2 Timothy 4:10 where Paul informs us that Demas "in love with this present world, has deserted me."

How will you finish? You may have started with great joy and progressed through years of hard work in the Kingdom, but how will you finish? The race can be hard and long. Life often surprises us along the way. Will you finish well? Paul said that he finished the race, he fought a good fight. Will you be able to say that. Live so that when you face God, He will say, "Well done good and faithful servant."