These days we’re enjoying the fourth message from the Crystallization study of the book of Isaiah (1), entitled, The Vision of Christ in Glory. Isaiah saw God – even when he was depressed and very unhappy with the situation of the people of Israel. And this is what happened (Isaiah 6:4-5):
And the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, Woe is me, for I am finished! For I am a man of unclean lips, and in the midst of a people of unclean lips I dwell, yet my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.
When we see God, we see Him in His glory and in also in His perfect and splendid humanity. At the same time, we see ourselves, and we hate / abhor ourselves. We see that we are persons with unclean lips – most of the things that we speak daily are unclean, are evil.
We talk too much, and a great percentage of our speaking is either criticism, murmuring, gossipping, or reasoning. This kind of speech makes us unclean and makes the church life taste like vinegar. Actually, if we eliminate gossip, murmuring, and reasoning out of our speaking, we will realize that we have very little to say. We are being exposed, when we see the Lord, of how unclean our speaking is.
Everyone who truly sees a vision of the Lord is enlightened and exposed – we are being brought into the light. As the light shines on us, we’re exposed and terminated! We just hate ourselves and deny ourselves. This is God’s judging us in His light.
We agree with Him and say, “Yes, Lord, my lips are filthy, and my tongue is indeed sharp. Cleanse me with Your precious blood so that my lips and my tongue may be consecrated to You for Your purpose.”
He cleanses us, He purges us, and then, just like in Isaiah’s case, He calls us and sends us out for Him. This all comes from us spending time with the Lord to see Him, behold Him, and be in His light daily.
As He judges and exposes us, He measures us – the outcome is a flowing out of the rivers of water of life from our being! Why are we many times powerless in preaching the gospel? It is because our speaking and our tongue have not yet been judged and measured.
When the Lord measures and enlightens us, what will flow out of us will not be criticism or gossip, but rivers of living waters. When we touch God, when we see Him, He measures our speaking, our clothing, the way we walk, the way we dress – every aspect of our life and living, even our being, is being brought in His light.
After we have been measured and judged by God, the ones around us will sense that even our hair and our clothing are dripping with the water of life.
Your clothing will satisfy those who are inwardly thirsty, refresh those who are inwardly dry, and illumine those who are inwardly dark, because your clothing has been judged, measured, and sanctified by God (W. Nee, collected works).
Lord, keep bringing us in the light of Your presence. We want to spend more time with You to touch You in such a real way. Purify and purge our lips and our tongue, Lord! Even go on in measuring every aspect of our life, so that living water may flow in and out of us!
