Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up in the glories of his temple. The blazing light of God's glory enabled him to see his true sinfulness, his need of cleansing. He denounced his sinfulness.God forgave him..
And then Isaiah records "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." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive." Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes..."
(Isaiah 6:8,9 ESV)
Many of us have heard this story since we were young children. We sing songs about his response. But did we know back then that Isaiah had no idea what he was going to do? God didn't tell Isaiah the nature of his ministry, that people wouldn't listen to him, that he was actually an instrument of God causing them to harden their hearts to their own destruction. God didn't say "Here's the plan, Isaiah. What do you think?" God asked for a volunteer, and when Isaiah volunteered, then he got his marching orders.
And so it is with us.God asks us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. We give ourselves to him, and he leads us, often in ways we never would have dreamed of and maybe wouldn't have chosen had we known ahead of time.
But now that Isaiah is with the Lord, I don't think now that he, that he regrets volunteering for a difficult mission. And neither will we. Eternity in God's glorious kingdom will make it all worth while.
And then Isaiah records "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." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive." Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes..."
(Isaiah 6:8,9 ESV)
Many of us have heard this story since we were young children. We sing songs about his response. But did we know back then that Isaiah had no idea what he was going to do? God didn't tell Isaiah the nature of his ministry, that people wouldn't listen to him, that he was actually an instrument of God causing them to harden their hearts to their own destruction. God didn't say "Here's the plan, Isaiah. What do you think?" God asked for a volunteer, and when Isaiah volunteered, then he got his marching orders.
And so it is with us.God asks us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. We give ourselves to him, and he leads us, often in ways we never would have dreamed of and maybe wouldn't have chosen had we known ahead of time.
But now that Isaiah is with the Lord, I don't think now that he, that he regrets volunteering for a difficult mission. And neither will we. Eternity in God's glorious kingdom will make it all worth while.
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