Experiencing God
“So, I said: ‘Woe is me, for I am undone … for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’” (Isaiah 6:5)
There are moments in Scripture that feel less like stories we read and more like mirrors held up to our own souls. Isaiah’s encounter with God in the temple is one of those moments. I find myself slowing down every time I read Isaiah 6, because it confronts a quiet assumption many of us carry—that we can encounter God deeply and yet remain largely the same. Isaiah thought he knew something of holiness until the day he truly saw the Lord. The Hebrew phrase nidmêti—“I am undone”—carries the sense of being unraveled, brought to silence, reduced to truth. This is not theatrical guilt; it is the honest response of a human life suddenly measured against the blazing holiness of God.
An exalted view of God has a way of clarifying everything else. Isaiah’s vision did not begin with a confession of sin; it began with worship. The seraphim cried “Holy, holy, holy”—qadosh, qadosh, qadosh—and the thresholds shook. Only then did Isaiah see himself clearly. A diminished view of God, by contrast, always distorts our self-understanding. When God is small, sin becomes manageable and self-esteem quietly inflates. As A. W. Tozer famously wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
When our vision of God is reduced, our concern for holiness follows suit, and we begin measuring righteousness horizontally—against others—rather than vertically, before the Lord.
Isaiah may well have been considered a godly man before this encounter. Yet standing in the presence of divine holiness exposed not only his own sin but the brokenness of the people among whom he lived. This is a consistent biblical pattern. Peter, encountering the power of Jesus in the miraculous catch of fish, fell at His knees and said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). Holiness does not produce self-righteousness; it produces humility. Genuine worship leaves us changed because it brings us face-to-face with truth. John Calvin observed that “man never achieves a clear knowledge of himself unless he has first looked upon God’s face.” Isaiah’s cry, “Woe is me,” was not despair; it was awakening.
This passage also presses a searching question upon us: have we grown comfortable in an unholy world? It is possible to adapt so thoroughly to the patterns around us that sin feels ordinary and holiness feels extreme. When someone does live with visible integrity, we may label them “superspiritual,” not realizing that the standard has quietly shifted. Scripture warns against this subtle deception. Paul writes, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Conformity numbs the conscience; transformation sharpens it. When we only compare ourselves to those around us, we may assume we are doing well. When we encounter the holy God, comparison falls silent, and honesty takes its place.
The life of Jesus embodies this holiness in human form. He did not merely speak about sanctification; He lived it among ordinary people. His presence revealed hearts without coercion. Those who encountered Him were either drawn toward repentance or pushed into resistance. There was no neutral ground. As theologian N. T. Wright notes, Jesus “embodied the holiness of God in the midst of everyday life,” making the divine visible and unavoidable. If I am truly experiencing God through Christ, something in me must change. Worship that leaves my habits, attitudes, and relationships untouched is not biblical worship.
Isaiah’s story does not end with condemnation. A coal from the altar touched his lips, and grace met conviction. God’s holiness does not crush; it cleanses. The goal is not shame but sanctification—being set apart for God’s purposes. When God deals with us, He produces a degree of purity the world cannot manufacture. Over time, that consecrated life becomes a testimony. Others begin to notice—not perfection, but difference. Jesus Himself said, “Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). People will not trust Jesus merely because of our words, but because they see a life shaped by a holy God.
Experiencing God, then, is not an abstract spiritual exercise. It is an encounter that reorders priorities, refines desires, and reshapes witness. If today’s worship does not unsettle us at least a little, we may need to ask whether we are truly seeing the Lord high and lifted up. The prayer “Woe is me” is not the end of the journey; it is the doorway through which renewal begins.
For a thoughtful exploration of God’s holiness and its transforming impact, see this article from Desiring God: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-the-holiness-of-god
FEEL FREE TO COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE, AND REPOST, SO OTHERS MAY KNOW