I’ve started reading through Isaiah in the mornings. It is one of those books that I always hear quoted, but haven’t ever thoroughly studied. As I get to know Isaiah, many things stand out to me. He is a man that is passionate for people to come to know the Lord. He is also a man that is willing to take a stand, and boldly preach the Word of God. In one of the most famous passages, Isaiah is called to ministry in the throne room of God. He was one of the most holy men of the time, but as he stood before the throne of God Most High, the he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips!” The commentary that I use (and learn SO SO much from!!) pointed out that God had to minister to Isaiah before Isaiah ministered to others.
I had to pause to let that sink in for a moment.
Do I take time to let the Lord minister to me each day before I try to minister to others? Do I realize the depth and power of the Gospel before I try to share it with someone else? Do I sit in the depth of my own depravity before passing judgment on others?
I have always heard that as Christians, we are supposed to have a daily quiet time, but I always found it hard to find a reason (to be quite honest). I had heard that we needed to be familiar with Scripture, but to be honest, in my own pride and arrogance, I thought I WAS quite familiar already, so I didn’t see the need to get up early to read through the Bible. One day, I was talking with a friend and he said something that struck me, and made sense to me. He pointed out that all of the disciples abandoned Christ within 24 hours of His arrest- how much more important it is for me to spend time with Him each day! If those faithful men could fall away within 24 hours, I am in for some real trouble! I’m sure that the disciples didn’t fall away in the sense of going out and committing egregious sins right away- but they weren’t willing to take a stand. Is that the kind of disciple I want to be?? NO!
This passage in Isaiah was another AHA! moment for me with having a quiet time. Not only do I need to be spending time with God each day in order to strengthen my walk and devotion to Him, but I must allow God to minister to me before I am truly fit to minister to others. And it isn’t an obligation to spend time with God each day- it is such a delight. When you are truly in love with someone, you don’t have to be told to spend time together. I love getting to spend time with the Lord, studying His Word in the morning, dwelling on it during the day, praying to Him throughout the day, and allowing His Spirit to prune me constantly. If I am truly taking my faith seriously, then He asks for nothing less. One can not be a Christian in name only- God demands ALL of us. To be a Christian is to delightfully give Him me- all of me.
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