How Committed Are We?

How committed are we?

Isaiah received his calling recorded in Isaiah 6:8, "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'" I would venture to guess that Isaiah had no idea what lie ahead for him or how God would use him to reveal His message to the people. Isaiah 20:2, "...at the same time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, 'Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take your sandals off your feet.' And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the Lord said, 'Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives..."

Can you image how Isaiah probably felt when he received the word from God that he was to disrobe and walk around naked for 3 years? The shame he would feel was a picture of the shame Egypt and Ethiopia were going to experience. I wonder if Isaiah hesitated. I wonder if he considered other options or tried to convince himself that surely God would not ask so much. We don't know from the text, but I'm just trying to imagine Isaiah's reaction, after all he was human like you and I. Yet, in spite of what he might have felt, Scripture indicates that he indeed walked around naked and barefoot 3 years, 3 years!!

In comparison, what have you been asked to do by God lately? Perhaps God has been convicting you regarding your tongue, gossip, pride, anger, or self-control. Perhaps He has been prompting you to spend less time watching TV and more time in His word, or to get more involved in Church or share the gospel with your neighbor who keeps asking questions. What is God asking of you? How committed are you to obey God?
If Isaiah, a man like us, obeyed God and walked in shame for 3 years can we not cease gossiping, overspending or overeating?

How committed are we?

Diane Hunt is Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and a proud grandma!