THREE WORDS OF ISAIAH: THE WORD OF COURAGE

(Message by Tanny Keng)

1. Three Words Of Isaiah  

a) The prophet Isaiah writes, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up..." (Isaiah 6:1). In the rest of chapter six, Isaiah speaks three times in response to the things he sees and hears in his vision. His words express the innermost and deepest feelings of every dedicated child of God.

b) These are words from the past that should live on our tongues today. If we would like to be people of clean lips, what better can we do than say these words to God, and go and tell his word to others? We are saying to God, "I don't feel worthy to represent you, but I am willing — use me Lord, for as long as you need to".

2. The Word Of Courage

a) "Here I am send me." (Isaiah 6:8)

a) The Lord was grieved that there seemed to be no one to speak his word to a blind and apostate people. But Isaiah volunteers, and the Lord accepts. We often feel overwhelmed in a world of ungodliness and ignorance. It is very easy to say, "What can I do? What difference can I make?"

b) Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). When God says today, "Who will go for us?" will we reply, "Here am I, send me"? Paul asks, "How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14). Will we reply, "Here am I, send me"? In fact he has sent us — you and me.

c) Notice too that Isaiah offers himself. He does not say, "Here WE are, send US." It's a personal and individual commitment. We shouldn't wait for others. Each of us has opportunities to go and speak for God. Spreading God's word does not require any major organisation, just individual willingness and effort to seize personal opportunities on a daily basis. It's easy to speak of "WE" and "US", because it shifts the responsibility away from "I" and "ME". 

The End ...