"Woe is me, for I am undone!" (Isaiah 6:5a)

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined!" (Jer. 6:5a)

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty
(Jer.6:3b)"

My Bible reading from The Message today led me to the one of the more obscure books of the Bible: Joel.
As I read the introduction by Eugene Peterson, I was struck how it was deepening the message from last Sunday when our youth pastor spoke on "When God Does Not Make Sense."

The unthinkable had happened. His only sibling passed away suddenly at the age of 36 leaving behind a wife and 2 young children. Many of us have had some form of catastrophe in our lives. Peterson says at the intro to Joel:

"When disaster strikes, understanding of God is at risk...Rumors fly: "God is absent"..."God is angry"..."God is playing favorites, and I'm not the favorite"..."God is ineffectual"..."God is holding a grudge ...and now we're paying for it"... It is the task of the prophet to stand up at such moments and clarify who God is and how He acts.... There is a sense in which catastrophe doesn't introduce anything new into our lives. It simply exposes the moral or spiritual reality that already exists but was hidden beneath an overlay of routine, self-preoccupation, and business as usual. Then suddenly, there it is before us: a moral universe in which our accumulated decisions--on what we say and do, on how we treat others, on whether or not we will obey God's commands--are set in the stark light of God's judgement."

Peterson says these moments of holy realization gives us "fresh opportunity to reorient our lives in faithful obedience."

I distinctly remember one life changing crisis and the very first sensation. I was suddenly confronted with God's holiness. That moment of shock was followed by my words: "Lord, for You to allow this to happen, You must want to teach me something. Please show me." He then turned on His light in my very tender heart and I was heartsick to see how flippant I had been with His Name, His glory, His holiness. 

I saw how I had thought going to church was an option. I saw how I had a cold heart towards a group of people. Yet I was claiming to be called into ministry. And the process went on. But I never felt condemned by an angry God, just loved by a holy God Who wanted to clean me, free me.

As I get older, instead of seeing my 'goodness' growing, I am made more aware of my sinful heart and my dependence on Him to live through me. I now more fully grasp the words of old classic hymns like Amazing Grace that 'saved a wretch like me.'

If today you find yourself struggling with a new normal, embrace His Presence in it and let Him cover you with His holiness. You will see your fixed notions of Who God is and how He should act falling apart for He cannot be fathomed in our human finite minds.

He is God and in the storm I will praise Him.

Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory."