Isaiah 6:8 - 9 ESV - 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.”
Each and every one of us who has ever drawn breath has been at a crossroads in our lives. Without hesitation, I can speak on behalf of humanity that we have all been in “that situation.” You have a choice to make and you know the right choice to make, but know it is going to lead to some sort of turmoil. In the above scripture we find Isaiah, one of God’s most prominent prophets from the Old Testament. When we study the whole of the book of Isaiah, we see he was no stranger to being in tough places. In this particular body of Scripture we see God commanding Him to take a rebuking message back to the people of Jerusalem. Likely they weren’t going to enjoy this harsh reminder that they done messed up!
God wrote Isaiah’s story into being from long before Creation Past! (Psalm 139:16) He did this to fulfill His will and draw Glory unto Himself…yet here is another take…He also wrote it into being so we could learn from Isaiah’s example. You may be thinking, “Wait a second…this isn’t about us here! It was about ancient Israel!” To which you would be correct! Yet, we can glean wisdom from his circumstances and how he responded to the calling of God.
How did Isaiah respond? “HERE I AM! SEND ME.” No hesitation. No worry. No anxiety. In five short words, Isaiah shows the sincere heart of a man who has faith in his Creator. A faith that is burning like a bright torch! Not just a torch that lights his own path…but a light for those behind him to follow. You see, we focus so much on ourselves and our own thoughts and feelings in such tough situations that we forget who else may be watching.
I am a man who was blessed with four unbelievably wonderful girls in my life. My truly stunning and amazing wife Carrie, our oldest daughter, McKenna, who is in heaven with Jesus, our next oldest daughter Lily who is the sweetest and most kind soul you’d ever meet, and Sofia our youngest, who has such an energy and bright smile that it can crack through even the hardest of hearts. God has placed these wonderful ladies in my life as a blessing and a comfort…yet He also has placed them in my care! As a husband and father I am commanded by God to be a good shepherd to my own family….and they’re watching me do it.
They learn from me through how I behave, speak, and the choices I make. I know without a doubt I will not always make the right choices. Yet I hope that I can point them to Christ as often as possible, and in the most spectacular of ways. I hope they look at what I do and see Christ Himself.
You see, our choices and behaviors, especially in what may seem like dire situations, can have an everlasting impact on future generations! Just like Isaiah! It is a reminder that God uses both the most spectacular of His followers…the Isaiahs, Davids, Solomons, Pauls, Lukes, etc. etc.….and He uses the most mundane. The average Joe down the street with the cute dog and the wife that is way out of his league (I empathize…truly my wife is stunning). He uses all of those in His Kingdom to impact the next generations.
And Just like Isaiah, they will follow our example like that same bright and shining torch in the darkness. Twenty years down the road when they are in a hard scenario with their own families and lives…and they don’t know what to do in their own life challenges.
Instead of focusing on the “what ifs”…focus on the “what if I don’t?” and the “who is watching me?” and how can I influence their future in the right now!
Pick up your torch! Pick it up and charge forward in faith! Remember that they ARE watching.
SOLI DEO GLORIA!!!!
