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I saw the Lord! (Isaiah 6)

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1) This is the moment in the life of Isaiah that inaugurated a lifelong ministry. It started right here, in a vision in the temple at Jerusalem. If you read the books of Kings and Chronicles, there is given a sad litany of the monarchs of Judah and Israel: some good, many bad, and some downright terrible. Uzziah was just sixteen when he became king of Judah and reigned for fifty-two years. So whatever the estimate of his contribution, the one thing he had brought to the table was stability. A whole mess of conspiracies and plots, counter-plots and assassinations had been brought to an end when Uzziah had been made king. But now that lifetime of constancy was under threat. Isaiah was in the Temple –seeking the Lord, presumably– and he saw something of inestimable value: that behind the throne of a mortal king was the throne of an eternal God. Even if Uzziah died, God would not. That was the vision that fuelled his life and filled his heart with purpose. The safety and security of the people of God did not –does not– depend upon human resources but upon the strength and sovereignty of the Lord God. At the very moment when I realised that all human power is fallible and finite, I saw with a certainty that took my breath away, that God is still in charge. Lord, that vision fills me yet. You are in charge even when everything here seems chaotic and troubled. You are “above all powers, above all thrones.” You alone are king. Prayer: When Thrones Tremble Eternal God,in the years when familiar powers fail us,when names we trusted disappearand the ground beneath our politics, institutions,and certainties begins to shift, grant us Isaiah’s vision. When the kings of this world die—or disappoint,or reveal their limits—lift our eyes beyond the fragile throneswe have leaned on for too long. Remind us that your rule does not expire,that your presence does not dependon human stability,that your glory still fills the templeeven when history feels unmoored. Where fear whispers that everything is coming apart,speak the deeper truth:that you are seated still,high and lifted up,unchanged by our chaos. Let this vision steady us—not into passivity,but into faithful courage.Root our hope not in rulers or regimes,but in your enduring reign. You alone are King.And that is enoughto carry us forward. Amen.