We now continue our devotional series on the two-fold calling (to salvation and to service) of Isaiah. Remember in this series we will be looking to learn more about the One who is calling Isaiah, along with the nature of the calls and an examination of the submission to these calls by Isaiah…
Following Isaiah’s salvation, the Lord immediately calls Him to His service…
Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?…
The Lord is now addressing the needs of others who are still lost and without His forgiveness. This is His first concern. To send those who have partaken of His saving grace to now deliver His message to others who are lost and undone.
Why didn’t the Lord say “Isaiah, I am sending you. I want you to go for us.”? This would basically restrict His call to one of obligation and necessity. He desired for Isaiah receive His call, and consent to it, motivated by love and desire, not obligation and necessity.
Although we are all obligated to Him to be witnesses of His work and grace (Rom 12:1), our service should not be done because “we must” ; it should be done because “we want to”.
This is why the Psalmist could so clearly state his great desire to serve His Lord and keep His Word in Psa 119:45-48… And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.
Folks, let us all stop and examine our motivation to serve our Lord and be witnesses of His grace. Let’s all seek to share the same attitude that the Apostle Paul shared with us when he wrote 2 Cor 4:7-11, in the midst of great persecution for his faith…. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
May the sacrifice of Christ motivate us to serve and gladly suffer for His sake as we take His gospel message to a lost and dying world..
May the Lord bless us as we “Think On These Things”.
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com
That was a needed “pep talk.”
We all need these from time to time. The Lord is good. Thank you for your comments. Lord bless you.
Thank you for helping us check our motivation . .. to do what we do out of love and willingness to serve Him. God bless you as you keep writing these posts, just because you want to!
Deb, Thanks for the kind words. May He continue to bless you as you serve Him by serving others.
“The love of Christ constrains us”
“that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us”
If anything other motivates me, it is futile. It is ‘wood, hay, stubble’ and will accomplish nothing.
Thanks again Rob. I know I’ll always get a good ‘feed’ here.
AMEN! Thank you for the encouraging words. May the Lord continue to bless you.