I remember the first thing my scoutmaster told me on the night of my first boy scout meeting… “always remember to Be Prepared.” I guess that somehow lodged itself into my brain and for the ensuing 60 years I have carried that thought into just about everything I have done; sometimes to excess. That all came back to the forefront recently while reading Isaiah’s message regarding the calling of the Messiah; Jesus.
Isa 49:1-2 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. 2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
This entire section addresses the calling of the Son by the Father, and as I was reading it once again I was struck with the fact that it also addresses our calling as it is addressed to the Isles (coastlands; people from afar); the gentiles – all the nations. Jesus has called us to minister (share) The Gospel in the coastlands where He has placed us. But we can’t accomplish that without being “prepared.” And that is the job of the Holy Spirit.
Not too long ago I was complaining to the Lord about feeling like I was sitting on the bench. You know, you practice all week for the game on Friday night but the coach never puts you in. Then comes Monday and you are back at practice without having been a part of the game. Well, as you would expect, He had an answer for my complaint and He used Isaiah to deliver it.
First and foremost, it was the Lord who called me… I like you was one of those residing on the coastlands; living afar from Him. And he not only called all of us from our mother’s womb, he knew us before we were conceived. I have a hard time getting my mind around that one and so it was verse 2 that He used to respond to my complaint… He hath made… He hath hid.
And just has the Father called His Son and made His mouth like a sharp sword, which He polished into shaft in the Father’s quiver during a time when Jesus was hidden, so He has done the same with us. And even the Son of God had to be prepared before He was able to accomplish the calling of His 3-year ministry. He had to be prepared to speak the Word of God and so do we. And often that preparation comes in the fiery furnace of affliction, but sometimes it comes in the quiet and dry times of waiting. Don’t forget where Jesus went upon His calling… into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. How about Paul? He was dynamically called and then he spent years in the desert being prepared to deliver the message that was entrusted to him.
Well, what the Lord was telling me became clear rather quickly. He called me, He chose and He is preparing me. He reminded me that only He knows my path and how I need to be prepared to walk that path with Him. He also told me that part of that preparation involves the message being prepared in me and the recipient being prepared to receive the message. And if I push past His timing in anyone of those areas and get out ahead of Him there are consequences that may have an eternal impact. Yeah… that last part got my attention.
As His bride we are called to follow in His footsteps. We are to be patient and commit ourselves to the preparation of the Holy Spirit in order to fulfill the vision He has set before us; to be prepared to meet the Lord. Therefore we can’t forget the goal we are working toward:
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
And the only way that is going to happen is if we allow Jesus’ righteousness (the righteousness He has placed in us) to be reflected in us as our image (character) is transformed into His character. Hence it comes back to the issue of preparation. Our preparation, the preparation of the message (the gospel) in us and the preparation of the heart that is to receive the message. And whether we like it or not, Jesus and Paul showed us how that is done. It takes commitment and obedience and it takes time. How long? How ever long it takes! But I am confident that we have a great deal to say about how long by how we respond to the call. And it takes time to not only prepare us, the message in us and the heart of the “hearer,” it takes time to prepare the gift(s) He has given us that, along with His anointing, are what He will use to deliver the message.
And that all means that we have to be made into a polished shaft in His quiver. And I have to constantly remind myself that that process takes time. If I jump out ahead of Him (and I have), it often results in my having to go back to the beginning and start all over again. And perhaps that is one of the blessings of growing older. I am much more patient and willing to wait on His Spirit to send me forth… with a prepared heart, with His message and a “hearing ear” and a “seeing eye” to ensure that I do not walk past the door that He will open for me to allow the Holy Spirit to deliver the message. And that process just might entail enduring trials and challenges along the way. Whether we like it or not, servanthood and suffering are inseparable for the bride of Christ. Should we be exempted if our bridegroom wasn’t?
We need to be patient, committed and obedient, keeping the reward of servanthood ever in the forefront of our mind. Allow me to modify Isaiah’s message just slightly…
Isa 49:3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, (My Bride), in whom I will be glorified.