Day 26 | Isaiah

Read Isaiah 6:1-13

The book of Isaiah is filled with prophecy, yet it was written in a very poetic way that can be both confusing and inspiring. Isaiah was certainly a great prophet. His prophecies included major events such as the coming of Jesus and the restoration of Israel.

Isaiah struggled with the same issues we struggle with today when considering our role in God’s kingdom. Upon seeing the Lord and hearing His voice, Isaiah immediately knew he and the people around him were unworthy of God’s presence. We know that we alone are not worthy of God’s mercy and love. In Isaiah’s case, one of the seraphim flew to him with a lump of burning coal and touched it to his lips to clean his lips and atone for his sins. Only after Isaiah’s guilt had been taken away through that cleansing act was he able to respond fully to God’s call to him.

It is important to remember that, just as Isaiah was a sinner that needed atonement, we too need the atonement for our sins. Fortunately, we have a much easier way to cleanse ourselves through Jesus. Jesus has already placed that coal on us to provide the cleansing ember to our souls. God still uses each of us, despite our sins. The reason He does this is pretty simple. Jesus has already provided the cleansing ember for us. We are made ready to work in God’s kingdom the moment we accept Jesus. Our past transgressions no longer have any bearing on our worthiness for His kingdom. He doesn’t use us because He needs us. He uses us because we need Him to use us. Those moments come in big splashes, like when you cross paths with someone eager to hear the Word, and in small moments, like reflecting Jesus’ love by buying the coffee for the person in that car behind you in the morning. We are all called to shine the love of Jesus regardless of our past. Jesus has touched our lips with the burning coal so that we can fulfill our role in God’s plan.

Pray for 10 minutes