Captive Audience

Romans 15:4 (NIV) 

"4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope."

Question:  

After reading the first six chapters of Isaiah, I noticed the Lord gave Isaiah prophetic visions of Judah and Jerusalem's dire need for repentance, as well as warnings against them if they didn't turn from their ways.  The Lord did this before he called Isaiah.  Yet, Isaiah enthusiastically responded.

You showed Isaiah many serious visions of a rebellious Judah and Jerusalem before you called him. My calling to simply reveal the wisdom you have shared with me in a blog, thankfully pales in comparison. Why is that?


Answer:

"People need teaching at all levels.

You are speaking to a captive audience.

They know their destinies because I have shown them their destiny.

They simply need encouragement to become mature so that they can fulfill their calling, and be able to receive even higher callings as they mature."

After hearing this, I re-read that day's devotion from Brandt, which contained this nugget:

"Our great God may not tap each of us on the shoulder and beckon us to specific tasks or arenas of service.  If we are attuned to Him, however; if we abide daily in His presence, we can overhear Him calling out:  "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"  And we can be assured that He waits on us for our individual responses."  

                                                                             -Leslie F. Brandt from Meditations on a Loving God

Going Forward:

I intend to rely on the power of God's Word, and to simply relay His words.  Further, I will attempt to refrain from mere embellishment for the sake of filling out a post.

It's important for me to realize that I can neither add to nor detract from the message that He wants those who are seeking Him to hear.

With that said, I pray that the Holy Spirit will be diligent in the delivery of this seemingly simple, but strikingly poignant revelation.  And I thank God for entrusting me with this task.