Crosspoint

But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the Lord their God and to David's descendant, their king. In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of his goodness.
(Hosea 3:5 NLT)
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 I was at Walmart yesterday and saw they had started to pull out some Christmas stuff. I've git a lot of negative stuff to say about how western culture has prostituted the concept, but this is not where I'm going today. I want to pull out an old memory Christmas memory to see if I can get into the spirit of the seasona little early.
 Anyways, growing up we would always go through the JC Penny Christmas catalog and write up Christmas lists based on the toys we saw there. G I Joes were the cool thing at the time. At least for guys. I'm sure the girls had Strawberry Shortcake or Care Bears or something.
 I don't know if I consciously or only instinctively did it but I would always gloss over the things that I knew were beyond what I thought my parents could afford. Or perhaps it is that I didn't feel like I was worth spending too much on. I know I was a money hoarder so perhaps I thought everyone was and would resent me asking for anything too expensive. For whatever reason I don't think many, if any, things over 10 maybe 15 dollars would make my list.
 But I'd made a mistake. There were two boats: one was the hydroplane and the other was the hydrofoil. One was basically a modernized one man raft and the other a huge tricked out attack boat that had places for a good dozen action figures. I wrote the wrong one on the list. You can imagine my surprise, joy and, on one level, horror as I opened the gift. I think it is still the best thing I ever got for Christmas. It was too much. It was far more than I deserved. For quite a while I would only play with it in fear and trembling.
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 There was another prophet who came a little later in time than Hosea who was given an amazing gift. It is one of my favorite scriptures: "In the year king Uzziah died I saw the Lord." If you could indulge me, I would like to imagine Isaiah's prayers were a little like how I wrote out my Christmas list. Uzziah had been a good king. We wouldn't mind having another like him. We don't necessarily need another David. That would be too much to ask. Just someone halfway decent. While we're at it, we wouldn't mind having a dry harvest season. Make it easy and profitable to bring in the produce. We wouldn't be so bold as to ask for complete dominance over our neighbors. Just to live in peace most of the time wouldn't be too bad.
 The thing is Uzziah had been king for 52 years. He had helped bring stability and prosperity to the land for quite some time. Now his young and untested son was taking over. Most living Hebrews had their identity in their king, who is now dead, in their security, which Assyria was starting to threaten, and in their priesthood, which had a falling out with the king recently. In other words, Isaiah was in a position and a place Hosea just described.
 It is against this backdrop that Isaiah gets his gift. "In the year king Uzziah died I saw the Lord." He goes on to try and describe God on His throne. Almost immediately he cries out "woe is me." There was the surprise at this unexpected vision. There is joy in the experience. But there is also the horror. This gift is far too good for me. I am unworthy.
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 Time and time and time again I feel like I am saying that. God you are too good for me. The things you have given me... they are so far beyond me. Your goodness causes me to tremble. But beyond your goodness, just to see You. Just to have the privilege of knowing you. It is so far beyond what I deserve. Help me, Lord, to never to lose my reverence and awe of You. You are the greatest gift.
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