Isaiah 6:8
Isaiah’s encounter with God in the temple was so intimate that he was able to overhear God having a conversation. In it God was wondering who he could send as a messenger and Isaiah immediately put up his hand and offered his services. Isaiah’s response stands in marked contrast to others, such as Moses and Jeremiah, who offered God reasons why he had chosen the wrong person. Isaiah was willing and God took him at his word.
Willingness is a wonderful quality. When gifts were given for the building of the temple in Jerusalem the people were incredibly generous. They gave 170 tonnes of gold, 10,000 gold coins, 240 tonnes of silver, 612 tonnes of bronze, and 3,400 tonnes of iron. That is phenomenal generosity by any standards. We read that “the family leaders, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the generals and the captains of the army and the king’s administrative officers all gave willingly...The people rejoiced over the offerings, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, and King David was filled with joy” (1 Chronicles 29:6, 9).




Isaiah was willing to serve God but that doesn’t mean life suddenly became easy for him. Far from it. He was given a desperately difficult task to perform. God forewarned him that people wouldn’t want to hear his message. They would “plug their ears and shut their eyes” (Isaiah 6:10). Even this discouraging information didn’t undermine Isaiah’s willingness, he simply enquired of God how long this would go on for. God replied that it would continue until the land had been turned into a wasteland and the people had been carried off into exile. It was a tough message, but Isaiah’s willingness was undiminished. He knew that the greatest thing he could ever do was serve the living God.




QUESTION
Are you willing to do whatever God asks you to do?
PRAYER
Lord God, help me always to be willing to serve you in whatever way you choose. Amen

Released on 18 Jan 2023