By Lee Faler, Senior Pastor
First Church, Terry
“Tell me about this mass in your son’s bladder.”
Those words spoken by our pediatrician will forever be etched in my mind. Our oldest son, Rankin, was born with one kidney on November 19, 2014. Due to prenatal ultrasounds that revealed cysts on his kidney which really never developed, my wife and I knew we would have several doctor visits with specialists during the first few years of Rankin’s life and we thought we were somewhat prepared for what lay ahead, but in full disclosure nothing could have prepared our hearts for the word, “mass.” All that was certain in our lives was uncertainty.
Feelings of uncertainty seem to be a shared emotion in the Church today. Since March 2020, nothing seems normal and the only thing certain in our lives is uncertainty. We are uncertain about the future in the midst of a global pandemic. We are uncertain about when we can return to life as we once knew it.
We are uncertain about whether or not to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We are uncertain as a new U.S. President and Vice President have been inaugurated and the political transfer of power is underway. Everywhere you look, uncertainty abounds. This leads us to ask, “What hope can we have when the only thing that is certain is uncertainty?”
The answer to this question is found in Isaiah 6:1 — In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne.
In order to understand the weight of these words, it helps to understand the historical context behind Isaiah 6:1. If you read 2 Chron. 26, you’ll learn that King Uzziah was 16 years old when he became king over Judah. He reigned for 52 years and started out as a great and godly king. He built cities, boosted the economy, and improved the army. You get the picture!
This was a prosperous time in Judah. What was the key to Uzziah’s success? 2 Chron. 26:5 tells us that, “as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” Then something terrible happened.
Success went to Uzziah’s head and he grew proud. In fact, he became so proud that he even entered the Lord’s temple to offer incense, which was a job that was reserved only for the priests. The priests tried to correct Uzziah, and he became very angry.
As we know from the rest of the Bible, God is very good at exalting the humble and humbling the exalted, so God chose to humble the proud king Uzziah by striking him with leprosy. King Uzziah suffered from leprosy to the day he died and his son Jotham became king.
Historically, Isaiah 6:1 takes place during a time of transition. One king has died, and now someone new is taking over. Can we stop for a moment and consider how the people of God must have felt in Isaiah 6:1? Can we stop and ask ourselves how Isaiah must have felt? At the very least, Judah and Isaiah had to have some of the same feelings of uncertainty that you and I have today. Surely they were asking questions like:
— Is Jotham going to be a godly king? Will he lead us closer to God, or farther away? We’ve had ungodly kings before and that didn’t turn out too good for us. I hope we don’t go through that again.
— What about the economy? What about our future? What about our military?
The only thing that was certain for Judah and Isaiah was uncertainty, and in the middle of uncertain times, note WHO Isaiah sees: I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne.
King Uzziah was dead but the Lord our God was, and still is, alive. The earthly king had abdicated his throne, but the heavenly King was very much still on His throne. This very image of God sitting upon a throne caused Isaiah — and should cause us — to recognize His sovereignty over all things.
As you read this, I want you to know that I don’t know what kind of uncertainties you’re facing. I don’t know what health concerns, family issues, financial problems, or church struggles are looming on the horizon, but this is what I do know:
God is good. God is in control. He can be trusted. God loves you. We have an enthroned God for days of uncertainty, and this much is certain.
Editor’s Note: Opinions expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, The Baptist Record, nor the publication’s Advisory Committee. The author may be contacted at bro_leefaler@yahoo.com.
