A Needed Reminder 20 January 2008

A Needed Reminder
Isaiah 49:1-8
Epiphany 2
20 January 2008

Today I had occasion to give my testimony again, and with that opportunity came the reminder of how much farther I have come than I ever could have imagined. I call it “ridiculous blessing,” extravagance on God’s part that defies all reason and overwhelms even my capacity to take it all in. I have been a recipient of God’s favor all of my life. Sometimes I just need to be reminded.

The prophet Isaiah likewise was in a moment when he needed a reminder. After a remarkable beginning, in which his tongue was a sharpened sword and his very existence one of God’s special weapons, Isaiah was discouraged. Rather than a display of God’s splendor, he regarded his own labor as being in vain. Breaking the silence of discouragement, God reminds Isaiah of the most important element in his prior success and his future promise: God’s faithfulness.

No matter how gifted we are, how blessed, how competent, how anointed, how successful, or even how spiritual we are, we all sometimes struggle with questions about the meaning of our lives, work, and ministries. We all will sometimes ask ourselves whether our labor and even our living are in vain. Seeking for answers in our own competence and giftedness will always lead to more uncertainty than confidence. That’s why we need the reminder to focus on the faithfulness of the One who has chosen us, the Holy One who had led us thus far and who promises to complete the good work in us.

Sing “There is a Balm in Gilead”

Let us pray:
For what you have placed in our hands, heads, and hearts, for all our gifts and talents, for our calls and our assignments, we give you thanks, O Holy One. We confess that the responsibilities and distractions of our lives sometimes cause us to doubt our purpose and usefulness. In those moments, by your word and by our testimonies, remind us of the solid rock that is your faithfulness, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen