Isaiah 6:6-8
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’
I recall hearing a musical group singing a song that had a line about hearing the call from the Lord . . . but wanting someone else to respond to it. Isn’t it amazing how keenly we can hear the call of the Lord for someone else? We even wonder why they are so slow to respond to His call. We hear it so clearly. Right!
But what about when the call is directed to us? We have all kinds of excuses for not responding: We are too busy, we are not qualified, or perhaps the call is not really from the Lord . . . and on and on our excuses pile up.
In Acts 9 a man named Ananias lived in dread and fear of persecution. Then the worst possible news began to spread around Damascus where he lived that the man they had heard was a violent persecutor of the believers in Jerusalem was now on his way to their city. Then the unthinkable happened — Ananias was called by the Lord to go and pray for this feared man that his sight might be restored! That was his calling in life, but what a difference it made!
As you are reading the Bible or praying, you may feel a tug on your heart strings and know that the Holy Spirit is calling you for a special task. Please do not argue with God and expect someone else to do it. Be willing to act in obedience.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil