4 minute devotions: Calling the Unworthy

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Podcast version here

There’s a beautiful song of this Bible verse called “Here I am, Lord.” I love singing it in church. The first time that I heard it, took place in Scotland when a choir member at the Maybole church sang it as a solo. Both the words and the tune captivated me and I consider it to be a high spiritual occasion each time I sing or hear this song.

The lyrics of the song are beautiful, but the Bible verse is even more wonderful. It’s all about being chosen by God for a sacred mission. In the midst of his unworthiness, the prophet Isaiah is called by God to go to his people with messages and prophecies from heaven. He is given the responsibility of declaring God’s words and thoughts to his own generation. It is an awesome task and whilst Isaiah does not feel worthy, holy, or clean enough to undertake such a sacred task, God purifies and prepares him for the mission.

There are days when I feel so unworthy and unholy to serve the Lord. I remember my background and past sins, which cause me to shudder at times. I often wonder why the Lord has chosen me to do what I do, but then I remember that without His mercy and grace, I could not do any of what He wants.

Perhaps you are experiencing a call to some ministry or mission, program or project for the Lord, but you feel unprepared, unacceptable, and unclean. Take heart because most of God’s leaders in the Bible had a shady past and things that made them ashamed. God does not choose perfect people because there are none to be found, anywhere. He calls us, not because of who we are, but because of what He can make us become. All we have to do is this: when He calls us to ministry, we each answer, “Here I am.”

Prayer: Lord God, You have a purpose for each of our lives. You call us to be ministers of Your word and missionaries of Your Gospel. Open our hearts and minds to Your calling and enable to accept Your ways. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Unworthy

Scottish audio version here

Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. (NIV)

Some of the congregations in the highlands and islands of Scotland are amongst the best attended churches in Britain. They are isolated from a lot of the cultural pressures that hamper faith on the mainland, so the people tend to turn out to church on Sundays. Except for Communion, which is very strange.

The reason that they don’t come to Communion services is because it requires full membership status. Many of the people who regularly attend church are adherents to the congregation, not members. They don’t believe that they are worthy enough to become members, which is a throwback to the times when the first Calvinist ministers came to the islands. Because they preached an uncompromising message of double predestination, the highlanders and islanders feared that they were damned and cast off from God forever.

Joining the church was deemed to be presumptive and taking salvation for granted, so the people didn’t become members. This understanding has passed down generation after generation until the present day. So, the churches are well attended throughout the year, except when it comes to Communion, which only occurs about two or three times annually.

When Paul and Barnabas took the gospel message to the Jews across the cities and towns of the Mediterranean, their preaching was rejected. It was too radical for many conservative Jews, so the two missionaries took their message to the Gentiles, where it was gladly accepted. Paul complains that the Jews did not consider themselves worthy of the promises of eternal life, but what he really meant was that they did not want to place themselves under the grace of Jesus Christ. The Gentiles on the other hand, knew that they were unworthy and they rejoiced in Christ’s grace.

Sometimes, especially when we need forgiveness for our sins, we may not feel worthy of God’s mercy. We may even not want to go to Him and ask for grace because it involves admitting our mistakes and submitting ourselves to Christ’s will. But if we don’t seek forgiveness, we shall never know of the joy, peace, and delight that Christ’s grace can bring into our lives. It’s a humbling experience, but it’s also a beautiful one.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all have regrets in our lives and have made many mistakes. We carry the burden of guilt and shame in our hearts, minds, and souls. Grant us the strength to humbly come to You and help us to truly ask for forgiveness. Let the beauty of Your grace release us from the sadness of the past, bringing us to the joy of everlasting love and life. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.