January 16

‘I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send?’ – Isaiah 6:8

                The calling of God is a reflection of the nature of God. This is why it is so important to be in tune with God through prayer and obedience to His law. Isaiah was able to answer God’s call only because he heard it. He heard it only because he trusted God through his own personal tragedy and allowed God to use the experience as a tool by which to shape his faith.

                Because of the fallen nature of Man, we are defaulted to being in tune to ourselves. We must learn to accept our destitution and in so doing accept that we are in desperate need of God. We can offer nothing to Him which is comparable to His gift of forgiveness. This is the hardest point to accept because doing so insinuates our lack of worth without God.

                We are not worthless beings and we all have at least one person whom we profess to love. However, at the very heart of our relationships, the self comes first. There is a validation of the self that is satisfied in relationship with others. Conversely, in relationship with God our entire existence is validated. In recognition of His love and acceptance we no longer seek validation of the self because we have received the ultimate acceptance from Christ.

                Strive to take advantage of the still quiet moments in order to listen to God. It is in these moments, when we recognize our insecurity and lack of control that God teaches us about ourselves and His nature. As we learn to listen, in so doing becoming more effective tools for His use, we begin to understand the opportunities for servitude that He is calling us to.