Day Forty-One

During this week we dwelling in Isaiah 6 and the call of the prophet. We are specifically examining the pattern of worship found in Isaiah’s encounter which also shapes the way many Christians and churches understand worship.

We are in the midst of exploring six distinct movements in Isaiah 6 that model a flow of worship for us. So far this week we have noted four:

We are invited into God’s presence. (Isaiah 6:1)
We sing praise to God (Isaiah 6:2-4)
We are made aware of our own sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5)
God assures us of his mercy and forgiveness (Isaiah 6:6-7)

Yesterday we were reminded of just how important it is to not take God’s mercy for granted. Part of me wishes we could just hit “pause” and keep sitting with that important truth. I don’t want to be guilty of the same “rushing past forgiveness” that is a common temptation. But the text urges us on, and Isaiah’s encounter with God is reaching its climactic moment.

There is a very distinct flow to what his happening, and having encountered the holy God of the universe, having been made aware of his sin, and now having received forgiveness for his sin…Isaiah is in a state of mind and heart to hear what God has to say to him. And what God has to say to Isaiah will forever change his life:

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’”—Isaiah 6:8a (NIV)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord.

Take a moment and just breathe those words in deeply, because the same experience Isaiah had is available now to all those who have trusted in Christ and open themselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is the fifth movement of our worship pattern:

We are invited into God’s presence. (Isaiah 6:1)
We sing praise to God (Isaiah 6:2-4)
We are made aware of our own sinfulness (Isaiah 6:5)
God assures us of his mercy and forgiveness (Isaiah 6:6-7)
We hear the word of the Lord (Isaiah 6:8a)

In other words, we’ve arrived at the sermon. Well, sort of.

In these post-Pentecost days, hearing God’s word spoken to us is not the exclusive venue of prophets and those to whom they are sent—as followers of Christ, the word of God comes to us through Scripture, through the inner voice of the Holy Spirit, through the wisdom of trusted Christian friends, and yes, through the guidance of those God equips to teach and lead us, like pastors in the context of a Sunday sermon.

God’s word can also come to us during a time of personal worship, as the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and guides us more into the people he desires us to be. And at the heart of that kind of experience you’ll find a seemingly simple question:

Are we listening?

It seems an obvious question, but it isn’t. We can spend hours reading God’s word, soaking in wonderful worship songs, taking in sermons and teachings, and even sitting in silence and still not really listen to God. Listening means putting aside all of our presuppositions of what God is trying to say to us. It means placing ourselves before the Lord without agenda or assumption and being willing to hear whatever he says, even if it challenges or frustrates us. Listening is not just about hearing. It’s about humbling as well. As the writer of Proverbs says:

“My child, listen to what I say,
and treasure my commands.
Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.”—Proverbs 2:1-5 (NLT)

These are words spoken from teacher to student, but they also speak to the relationship between God and us. The invitations in this passage ask us to be attentive, patient, and passionate as we seek the things God would say to us:

—Tune your ears to wisdom
—Concentrate on understanding
—Cry out for insight
—Seek insight and understanding as you would a hidden treasure

This posture of patient, attentive listening is rooted in what we’ve already learned about worship from Isaiah 6. It comes from a spirit of humility—humility birthed as we acknowledge who God is, bring our sin to him, and receive his forgiveness. The first four movements of worship prepare us for the fifth. They till the soil of our hearts until we are ready to receive the word God desires to speak.

The question is…are we listening?

Oh Lord, Speak to me
Face to face
By Your Spirit, by your word
For your servant is listening
How I long to hear your voice
How I need to hear your voice

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) What times in your life have you felt God speaking most clearly to you? What did he use most significantly in those experiences—Scripture? Inner guidance from the Holy Spirit? Wisdom from a loved one or church leader? Spend some time giving thanks to God for his willingness to reveal his wisdom to his children.

2) Do you consider yourself a patient person when it comes to listening for God to speak into your life? Offer to him in prayer your desire to be open to both his methods and his timing for revealing wisdom to you.

3) Are you waiting on a word from God for your life right now? What would the posture of patient, attentive, and passionate listening look like for you right now? Are there things that need to be built into your life, or removed from your life, to facilitate that posture?

4) The chorus of today’s song links receiving God’s mercy to receiving God’s word:

Oh Lord, have mercy
Oh Lord, have mercy
By your great love, God most high
Speak to me

How do you see mercy and hearing from God being related to each other?

5) Read and reflect on this passage of Scripture. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.”—Psalm 25:4-5 (ESV)