Isaiah 6:9-10–And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

I think we all had a time where we listened to the same instructions over and over from a parent, teacher, coach, spouse, etc. and didn’t really listen, or understand what they were saying, yet remained an “audience” to their instructions.  Eventually we become dull of hearing what is said, and void of understanding what they are trying to convey…

As Christians, as much as we should love to see people come to Christ from our witness and life, many times we get “bogged down” into thinking that if people aren’t coming to Christ than we are not effective.  But the prophet Isaiah was called to preach and live out God’s truth, and the people he witnessed to were not changed at all!  It was God’s will for them to hear the truth, yet never receive it. So they could never say God’s love was not extended towards them to repent and avoid judgment, once judgment came…

In a country where capitalizing and getting results is the main mentality, and serves its purpose in many areas of life, it can become a major roadblock to Christians.  Because suffering for seemingly no tangible “fruit” or results can cause you to conclude that you are ineffective, so our relationship with Christ becomes defined by results.  But it maybe that God is using us to be the “Isaiah’s” of our day, that we speak and live out the truth of God’s extended love, for the sake of the world seeing an alternative to judgement, but too dull to receive it?

But before we think about our witness to the world, we must examine our own heart toward what God speaks in His Word.  Has the Word and messages become like a nagging parent, coach, or spouse?  Where we hear what they are saying for our good, but because our heart has become dull we don’t really deal with it?  Ironically, before Isaiah volunteered his services to God, he saw a clear picture of the holiness of God, and it shocked him to see the need for his own “dullness” to be healed, before passionately witnessing to others…

In His Love, Ld