Transformation through Courage: Isaiah & Jeremiah

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 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!”  ~ Isaiah 6:1-8
The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of King Josiah son of Amon of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of King Zedekiah son of Josiah of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, “Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” ~ Jeremiah 1:1-10



Lord, I am a man of unclean lips.

Truly, God. I am only a boy.

Really, God...I don't know much about scripture.

Come on, Lord, I'm not a public speaker.

Seriously, God, I don't have the energy to do this.

I don't have the time.

You want me to tell what to whom???

Being a prophet was tough. But especially when you thought you had a huge impediment getting in the way!

Too young, too guilty, too shy. Too tired. Too uneducated.

But not for God.

For God, we just aren't too anything to stop us from doing what we've been called to do.

For God, it takes stepping out with courage despite being too young. Too guilty. To shy. To tired. Too uneducated. 

What courage do you need? What impediment do you think is in your way?

And can you trust that God is able to deal with it?


Prayer: Help me let go of my impediment, Lord, so that I can get to the serious work of loving and serving you. Amen 


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