Bible Reading: Isaiah 6 (ESV)
Memory verse: Isaiah 6: 11a
Then I said, “How long, O Lord?”
Good evening (once again) ladies, and gentlemen! As promised, today, we have two blog posts available! We started the month of December with a bang! This month is the month of SETTLEMENT! Before January 2024, sit back and see all matters/ issues, God will settle on your behalf! Indeed, like Pastor Nathaniel Bassey said “This Christmas season is the best you have ever experienced.” Indeed, it will be! No matter how difficult the year has been! All God’s promises for your life are coming to pass! This is going to be a month of celebrations and thanksgiving because God is settling His children. Hallelujah!
This post explores Isaiah’s reaction to God’s message in Isaiah 6: 9- 10 (which we explored in the previous post). Then, we will draw some lessons from this, for our personal journey(s) as “fellow” servants of God. Are you ready for this piece? Well, if you are, let us get right into the second post for the day!
From the response Isaiah gave, we can assume the state he was in! we can tell that he was saddened by the fate of the people who choose to live their lives in ignorance! He was probably in a state of shock and panic, however he did not want to expressly show it. Why? Well, he was in the presence of God, the Lord of hosts. The being he trusted, respected, and revered. From the structure of the response, we see that Isaiah tries to appeal to God’s “emotions” by calling out to Him in a grandiose gesture- “… O Lord.” It is very evident that he was sympathetic to these people. We do not know for sure, for all you know, his acquaintances could be part of the group of people ignoring God! You can see his sympathetic nature when he questions God- “How long…?”
Ladies and gentlemen, there are times we might be in the same situation as Isaiah. There will be times you are sympathize with the people of this world- knowing that eternity is going to be horrible for them! These people can be your family members, friends, colleagues, etc. no one prevents you from expressing your emotions. However, the results of your emotions are what matters! It can be a catalyst or a knife! What do we mean by this?
Well, the sympathy (or emotions) we feel for others during an assignment can cause us to channel the emotions to the call. This means that we will do everything we can to ensure that the Good News message will be heard by many (and as often as possible). Just as a catalyst increases the rate of chemical reactions; our emotions can increase the rate of your “productivity and efficiency” on the assignment.
On the other hand, the sympathy (or emotions) we feel can cause us to turn away from God. Just like a knife can cut through things; our emotions can cause us to cut all relations with God. Have we not heard of people who turn their backs on God and/or the church because of the emotions surrounding a painful situation/ circumstance? Well, it happens at times, but we must always be careful to go back to God. Isaiah chose to focus on God and went back to question Him. He did not decide to keep it all in and feel overwhelmed. He quickly went back to God because He kept His focus of Him- the One who called Him!
Dear readers, as you reflect on your Faith journey, it is our prayer that this post will lead you to be more intentional about your role as a Servant of God. It is a very important role. Though we have many faults as humans, we have the ultimate decision on the dynamics of our relationship with God. Ladies and gentlemen, how would that look like?
Have a wonderful day and let God inspire you!
If this is your first-time hearing about Christ, or you have made the decision to make Him the center of your life, kindly say this prayer with all sincerity and truth.
Dear Lord,
I come to you today as a sinner. I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is your Son, and He came on to this earth to die for my sins. Dear Lord, let your Son come and fill me. Lord, I ask that He cleanses me off my sins. I am ready to stand for you and profess your Name. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
If you repeated this prayer with all the sincerity of your heart, congratulations!! You are now a part of God’s family. You get to enjoy the freedom, salvation, and eternal life! Welcome to the greatest family ever. Heaven is rejoicing on your arrival. Your fellow brothers and sisters are also excited to have you on board.
Being a child of God is a wonderful thing. The road might not always be easy, but God is with you each step of the way. Guiding you, helping you and encouraging up. You will never regret this decision; I can assure you of that. Two things I would recommend for you to do are,
1. Get yourself a Bible (in a version you understand) and meditate on it day and night. In Joshua 1:8, we are told that when you meditate on the Word, day and night, you will be prosperous and successful.
2. Find a Bible- believing church to attend and fellowship with other Christians. This would help you grow spiritually.