Vision

I surely love the Bible and the many stories contained within its pages.  It would be very hard for me to choose just one favorite passage.  Among the many, however, is the account contained in Isaiah, Chapter 6.  It is the story of Isaiah’s vivid call to ministry, a call to serve God Almighty.

Have you ever wondered why some people are so “shamelessly persistent,” so resilient in the things of God and in their devotion and zeal for the Lord?  I think it simply comes down to one thing—a real vision of the living God.  Why did Isaiah have such a powerful ministry for the Lord?  Why did he start strong AND finish strong?  Why was his life such a testimony for God?  Answer: Isaiah saw God for who He really is!  This event put all of life, including his, in true perspective.

The Scriptures record that Isaiah had a dramatic encounter with the one true and living God (Is 6:1-13).  In this vision, he saw God’s awesome holiness (Is 6:1-4), he grasps his own sinfulness as well as the sinfulness of his nation (Is 6:5), and he experienced God’s redeeming love, mercy, and forgiveness (Is 6:6-7).  Isaiah, moved by this magnificent revelation, devoted himself to serve the living King with unwavering faith and burning passion (Is 6:8).

Now, as the commentator Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story.”  God tells Isaiah that the people He is sending him to will have dull ears, dim vision, and hard hearts (Is 6:9-10).  Isaiah responds, “How long” shall I go to them with the proclamation of the Lord (Is 6:11a)?  God says, “Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant, until houses are without people, until the land is utterly desolate, until the Lord has removed men far away, and until the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land (Is 6:11b-12).”  In other words, UNTIL nobody is left to hear the testimony of God!

Wow!  How did Isaiah persevere until such unpromising circumstances?  How did he stand it?  How did he have a steadfast ministry that spanned nearly 60 years?  How was he able to get up each and every morning and serve God with enthusiasm?  Simply—Isaiah was driven by his encounter, by that vision, of who God really is—high and exalted, awesome and powerful, Holiest of holies, King of kings, merciful, and missionary.

Undoubtedly, Isaiah was gripped by this vision for the rest of his life.  Undoubtedly, if we are to serve as Isaiah did, our lives MUST also be gripped by the awesomeness of the one true and living God!

In His Grip—Dennis