God Qualifies Us To Live His Plan/Call

SCRIPTURE: ISAIAH 6:4-9

“At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.  ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.’

Then one of the seraphs 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!’  He said, ‘Go and tell this people...’” 

OBSERVATION:

Isaiah finds himself in the throneroom of God and surrounded by angelic beings singing praise to God.  In the midst of this, he realizes how huge the chasm between he and God truly is.  His immediate response is one of guilt, shame and disqualification.  “I am unclean, my daddy is unclean, my grand-daddy is unclean, and all my friends are unclean.”

The very thing God is calling Isaiah to do is to be his mouthpiece - to be a prophet.  Isaiah’s contention is that his lips are unclean.  A seraph grabs a coal from the altar and touches it to Isaiah’s lips and cleanses them.  God says, “Your lips are the problem?  Then I’ll take care of it.”

It is true that we are unqualified to serve God in and of ourselves.  We are all just as unclean as Isaiah.  It is also true that God is the one who qualifies us to live the life that He has planned for us.

APPLICATION:

I can easily disqualify myself from anything of God.  I can look at my family roots, my past, and my present sin and recognize that there is a huge chasm between who I am and who God is.  I can easily see why I am not the man for the job.

When I identify my old disqualified self thru guilt and shame I need to trust that He will touch those areas of my life and bring cleansing and healing - qualifying me to be the person He created me to be and live the life He has called me to live.  I need to remember that I cannot qualify myself thru physical effort when it is God who started my calling and transformation in the spirit.

PRAYER:

Thank you God that you don’t give up on us.  You forgive us and make us who you have always created us to be.  Help me to fix my eyes on you and your ability to make me the man you’ve called me to be.  I will connect myself to your Spirit and make sure I spend time designed for you to work your plan and character into my life.  Lord help me to be qualified for the work you’ve place before me as a husband, dad, friend, and pastor.  In Jesus name, AMEN!!!