I was reading in the book of Isaiah and came across a verse that taught me many lessons in just a few short words. I love that about God’s Word. He can have layers and layers of teaching in one verse. There is a lifetime of learning in the Word of God.
Isaiah 6:8 says, Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” You can almost see Isaiah standing there with his hand up in the air waving it to the Lord like a school boy as he responded to the question.
What do you do when you recognize a need? Do you respond immediately without talking to the Father about it? Do you turn quickly and start moving the other way hoping no one saw you? Neither response is good. If we are to invest our time in the things the Father has in store for us, we need to first be willing to volunteer, but then wait until He calls on us for the job. If you read on in verse 9, you see the Father told Isaiah to “Go!” He very well could have said “stay” in response to Isaiah’s raised hand.
God has a person in mind for each job we see. Sometimes that person may be timid and shy and not realize God is calling them to the task. If we step in and take on the job, we may be doing a job the Lord never meant for us to do. In the process of loading our plate, we are stealing from someone what was intended for them. We may find ourselves bogged down with more than we can possibly handle and cry out to the Father saying, “I can’t handle all of this.” What we might hear in return could surprise us. He might say, “I never asked you to!”
1 Chronicles 16:10 says, “Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.” Seek the Father’s heart and find out what your marching orders are before you start marching. Then, your heart will be glad and you will not be overwhelmed.