S139P4 – Profiles in courage: Isaiah
Isa. 6:5-8
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for 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!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Isaiah’s vision is rather long and involved. It starts with the sin of Judah and of Jerusalem. By now in scripture, it is not a new problem for us to see. God’s people had spent generations flip flopping from worshipping him to straying to returning and back again. Isaiah was no different than his people, and we see that from his admission here. His vision also showed God’s judgment over Judah and Jerusalem as a result of their sin. He knew that he and his people had been unfaithful in their worship. Isaiah’s conviction over their sin brought him to repentance and a moment of unquestioned dedication. Not sure what exactly would be ahead, he bravely said yes to this assignment from the Lord.
The Lord’s first task for Isaiah was to have him approach the king and give him comfort and reassurance regarding an impending attack. This was no slow start to this assignment. In addition to this reassurance, Isaiah also had to be honest with the king regarding his own spiritual state. If the king could not remain firm in his faith, the battle would be lost. [7:9] That would be a lot for anyone to accept, but Isaiah was saying this to the king. It is a rather humbling remark, and it might not have been the most comfortable conversation for him to have, but this was what he agreed to do. Courage in that moment of blind commitment to God’s work would have to become courage in the hard work ahead.
Many people are like me, and they want to see some portion of the picture before they agree to the work. With man, that might be a reasonable request. With God, however, our faith will require courage instead of information. Although He might show us a picture of what lay ahead, what He wants from us is the fearlessness to go without knowing exactly what will come. That courage comes from our faith that He will watch us, guide us, and ultimately work things out for our good. If we believe that, we will always have the courage to say yes when we are called. Father, give us faith that makes us courageously go without question, doubt or fear when You call us forth.