Volunteers?

I remember a story my dad once told about one of his first few days in the Army. The commanding officer asked for volunteers among the new draftees to serve as firemen. A few interested hands went up.

My dad, however, did not raise his hand. He remembered a piece of advice from a friend, “In boot camp, never volunteer for anything.”

It turned out to be good advice. The firemen were soldiers who got up an hour before everyone else to put coal in the stoves to heat the barracks. It was a cold and dirty job.

In Isaiah 6, the prophet tells of a time when God appeared to him. In fear and awe, Isaiah volunteered to go to God’s people with His message.

Surely there were times along the way when Isaiah regretted the job for which he volunteered. It was often unpleasant because Isaiah had to scold the Israelites for their unfaithfulness to God. He had to deliver a message of repentance and, sometimes, judgment. That did not make him a very popular person.

I wonder if Isaiah would have volunteered for the job if he had known what it would later entail? Or would the glory of God he had witnessed outshine any shadow of difficulty ahead?

What about you? Will you risk ridicule to shine His light in a world content with darkness? Even now God asks the question, “Whom shall I send?”

Will you say to an awesome, loving God, “Send me”?

Lord, may I say “yes” to you in everything you ask. I believe your way and your message are the best. Amen.

Go Deeper — Read Romans 8:18 and consider that God’s higher purpose is greater than any hardship we may encounter here on earth.