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Daily Devotion: Isaiah 6:8-12

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Isaiah 6:8-12    "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.  (9)  And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.  (10)  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.  (11)  Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,  (12)  And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land."

I must admit that today's words may not be my favorite. I want to deal with the message before I write of the messenger.  God told Isaiah to "go and tell this people." Notice something, God did not even call them "my people" as He did in 2 Chronicles 7:14... "If my people..." He was to tell them the message, but God told him in advance that the people would not listen to him.  They wilLhear the noise of the words, but will not understand what is being said.  I cannot imagine being sent to a people knowing that they would not listen to me. Isaiah's only question was, "How long?" How long do you want me to speak to them?  God answered him, "Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land."  God was not telling them, "If my people will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways." They had gone beyond that. God's judgment was upon them. But understand this, they had been given many opportunities to turn from their wickedness. But now, it was God's turn.

Tomorrow, the Lord willing, we will look at the messenger.  But today, I need to look within and see where I need to humble myself. I need to discern where my prayers need to be focused in order to do "right in the sight of the LORD thy God." (Deuteronomy 12:28)

Heavenly Father, please be merciful to us. Have mercy upon our nation for we have turned away from you. Receive us back into your fellowship for Christ's sake. Amen.

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