Weekly Devotional: January 7, 2026

GOD’S WORD
Isaiah 6:1-8

DEVOTION BY
Rick Raymer, Major
Territorial Pastoral Care Officer for Former Officers & Spiritual Life Development Writer

“In The secret Of Thy Presence”

A number of years ago, a woman in Kansas City walked into a Haagen-Dazs ice cream shop

at the Plaza shopping center. While waiting, she turned to find actor Paul Newman standing behind her! He was in town filming the movie Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, and was now standing behind his biggest fan. He smiled at her and said "hello." She took one look at those

legendary blue eyes and her knees almost buckled. Her heart was in her throat. She tried to speak, but not a sound came out. Mortified, she turned around, paid for her ice cream, then quickly walked out of the store.

Outside, she sat down on a bench and caught her breath. As she calmed down, she realized she didn't have her ice cream cone. She was debating walking back in to get it when Paul Newman walked out. "You looking for your ice cream cone?" he asked. Speechless again, she nodded. "You put it in your purse with your change."

I wonder why, we get so excited about meeting a celebrity – and yet when we enter into the presence of God it’s with a yawn and a shrug?

Robert Murray McCheyne wrote the following: “It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”

If you are a member of The Salvation Army I do not have to remind you that we are a part of a Holiness Movement. That’s what God called us to be a part of.

When the Tilsleys were stationed in the South, then Mrs. Colonel Tillsley said something I will never forget. “My calling, not to the ministry in general, but to The Salvation Army in particular”.

Are you still as excited as you were when you became a volunteer, employee, soldier or officer when He first called you to this ministry? Are you pumped up today because of what God is doing in your life and in the life of the His Army?

You and I are a part of a movement that is over 2,000,000 strong, The Salvation Army, and if we are going to continue to move this Army forward, we must remember that keeping ourselves clean and pure has to be top priority. We must strive on a daily basis to be holy.

If we are - and I know we are a Holiness movement then its members must be holy. That’s you and me! – Are WE?

D.L. Moody once said…"A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they only shine.” Are you shining for all to see so that those around you will see the light of Jesus and be saved?

I love the song written by Albert Osborne

In the secret of thy presence,
where the pure in heart may dwell,
are the springs of sacred service and a power
that none can tell. There my love must bring its offering,
there my heart must yield its praise, and the Lord will come,
revealing all the secrets of his ways.

Chorus
In the secret of thy presence, in the hiding of thy power,
let me love thee, let me serve thee, every consecrated hour.

It’s only in the presence of Christ that God can have every consecrated hour! That you and I can truly be holy!

Someone was noted with saying to their followers “live as if I always saw you.” Folks, there is no as if about our relationship with Christ. He does always see us!

The Christian walks with Him and talks with Him and enjoys his presence in an intimate way. Only in that kind of relationship can you and I keep our garments unspotted from the world.

As Salvationists we believe as stated in:

Doctrine 10
We believe that it is the privilege
of all believers to be wholly sanctified,
and that their whole spirit and soul and body
may be preserved blameless unto the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s who we are - we of all people should be holy – we who carry the cross of Christ into the neighborhoods where He has appointed us should be holy.

He commanded us to be holy, and I am convinced if we who have been called, officer, soldier, employee etc. are holy we will be used of God to do exactly what William and Catherine Booth set out to do and that is win the world for Jesus! At least our part of it.

Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: “ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!”  4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.  5 So I said: “ Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “ Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.” 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “ Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

Have you answered that call I know many of us have, but have you?
Have you said, “I’ll go,” send me?

I don’t know where you stand in your spiritual life. And chances are your Corps Officer or Pastor does not know for sure. But I do know one thing for sure, unless you and I keep coming back to the altar and allowing God to touch us again with the burning coals or the fire of the Holy Spirit, we are going to miss out on God’s best for our life. And ultimately we will miss out on having the greatest impact on those He called us to serve. Whether you are an employee, soldier, volunteer or an officer, it’s time. It’s time for us to be the holy people that God wants and calls us to be in this 21st Century.

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OUR CORPORATE PRAYER
Father, we come boldly before Your throne room in the assurance that You will hear our prayers and answer them according to Your riches in Christ Jesus.  We bow before You in a position of humility, adoration and a sense of awe and wonder all because You are the God who hears and answers the prayers of His people. We love you and we praise You simply because You are worthy and it’s within us to do so. In the name of Jesus Christ we make this prayer. Amen.