“Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips…for my eyes haves seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”   Isaiah 6:5  

         Spiritual transformation is something that is often elusive for many us. We are often waiting for an “AHA” moment, or some sort of spiritual experience that we hope would bring our faith to the next level. In this passage, Isaiah has a transformational experience like no other.  

         He has a vision of God sitting upon his throne in his splendor and majesty, while his angels surround him in worship. The sight is glorious. It was literally earth-shaking. Isaiah’s response is of note because of how natural it was. He says, “Woe is me!” He recognizes God’s glory, holiness and perfection when he sees it, but simultaneously realizes how lowly he is in comparison. At the sight of God, he was despondent because he realized how completely unworthy he was to be there. It was a natural, emotional response.

         This I think is the heart of true transformation. It always begins with the greatness and glory of God. Once we’re able to recognize God’s glory, the process of transformation continues when we realize just how far we fall short. It is the acknowledgment that we are so spiritual poor and that nothing we do can pull us out of our own poverty. It’s when we’re able to cry, “Woe is me!” 

         Sometimes, we may not be transformed because we’re not willing to go through repentance. We want the experience of transformation without having to go through the difficulty of recognizing our brokenness. However, trees produce more fruit with a little pruning. Gold is purest and most beautiful when it’s refined by fire. Transformation almost always requires the pain of leaving behind the things that hold us back.

         Isaiah’s vision doesn’t end there. After his cry, God takes away his guilt and sin, and Isaiah emerges with a new life and a new mission.

          Are you longing to be transformed by God? It doesn’t begin with us becoming better people or living our best lives. It begins with us seeing him more clearly in all of his glory - as King and LORD. Let us cry, “Woe is me!” and be healed.

          「我有禍了！我要滅亡了！因為我口出不潔之言.....，並且親眼看見了大君王——萬軍之耶和華。」    以賽亞書6:5

           靈命的更新對我們許多人來說往往是難以捉摸的。我們經常在等待一個「頓悟時刻」或某種屬靈的經歷，我們希望這些時刻或經歷能使我們的靈命更上一層樓。在這段經文中，以賽亞就經歷了一個與眾不同的靈命更新。      

           他在異象中看見主坐在高高的寶座上，滿是榮光和威嚴，有天使侍立在祂的周圍敬拜祂。景象是一片威榮，經文形容他們的聲音震動聖殿的根基。以賽亞的回應是值得關注的，打從心底，他說：「我有禍了！」面對這個景象時，他看到神的榮耀﹑聖潔和完全，並且立時他意識到自己與神相比是多麼的卑微。他感到灰心沮喪，因為他看到自己在神的眼中是多麼渺小和不配。這是一種自然而激動的反應。  

           我認為這是心靈真正的更新。更新總是從神的偉大和榮耀開始，當我們能夠認識到上帝的榮耀，又體會到自己的微小時，心靈的更新就會啟動，這過程能夠持續就是當我們體認自己屬靈的貧乏，明白自己沒有任何的事情可做來擺脫這貧乏時，也是當我們懂得呼喊：「我有禍了！」之時。

           有些時候，我們可能沒有改變因為我們不願意悔改。我們希望獲得更新蛻變的經歷，卻不願意面對要承認自己破碎的困難。但是，樹木要經過修剪才會結出更多的果實；金子要經過火煉才能變得最純最美。屬靈的更新幾乎總是需要我們經歷放下的痛苦，就是學習放下那些纏繞我們的事情。  

          以賽亞的異象並未完結；當他呼喊過後，神讓他的過犯被除掉，他的罪惡得赦免，以賽亞所展現的是新的生命﹑新的使命。    

          你是否也渴想着被神改變？這樣的改變不是從我們做一個更好的人或者活出一個最好的生命開始；乃是，在祂 – 耶和華和君王 - 的一切榮耀中，我們能更清晰地看見祂。讓我們都呼喊：「我有禍了！」，並得醫治。 

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