“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”” (Isaiah 6:8) This verse comes from one of the favorite passages of most pastors. It tells the story of the calling of the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, and reminds those called into ministry how serious the moment is. It is a holy and precious event to feel the pull of God’s Spirit as He sends us to make a difference in this fallen world through the proclamation of the Gospel.
We all “hear” things. Our life is filled with voices from social media advertisements, opinions from the talking heads of news organizations, and philosophies from the entertainment industry. These voices are constantly vying for our attention and adherence. If we have no guidance or foundation in our life, these voices mix together to form our worldview, ethics and value system. A stew may be better than a baked potato when we are discussing food, but when it comes to absolute truth, a stew is man’s attempt to mix his opinions with God’s revealed truth. Let us enjoy a stew on the kitchen table, but not in our worldview lest we create a hodge podge of philosophical nonsense.
We look around at the world we have today and see constant confusion. Our present political situation is a perfect reflection of the desperate times our generation faces. We have a pathological liar, baby murderer, homosexual promoting, moral degenerate on the left, and an egomaniac with junior high knee-jerk reactions on the right. Is this the best our country has to offer? Has it really come down to a political version of “Dumb and Dumber?” As a country, have we gotten so far away from God that we no longer have a godly option for president?
God only knows what is going to happen to our country. We have sown the wind and now we are reaping the whirlwind. But really, beyond all the political nonsense we must ask this basic question, “What do you hear?” As His children, what pulls upon our heart during our quiet time with Christ? What is the chord the Holy Spirit strikes on the strings of our heart? What difference can we make in this depraved, immoral and me-first world?
Similar to Isaiah’s generation, there are tough times ahead for our nation. And yet, at that very moment the Lord sent Isaiah to those who needed truth. In prayer, I hear the cries of the millions of babies that our nation has murdered through abortion. I hear the weeping of God over how those who claim to be ‘Christian’ continue to vote for those who support abortion. I hear the call to make a difference, refuse to play church, speak the truth in love, call out racism, and heal the brokenhearted. But that’s just me. The real question is…What Do You Hear?
