God’s Word Is Alive

A Willing Response

WHEN there is a job to be performed, is it not a pleasure to work with persons who are eager and willing? Our Creator, Jehovah God, also appreciates a spirit of willingness on the part of his servants. In his Word, he has expressed the confidence that his people ‘would offer themselves willingly’ for his service.​—Ps. 110:3.

This fine spirit was displayed by God’s prophet Isaiah. He saw a magnificent vision of God’s glory in the beautiful temple at Jerusalem. The glorious representation appeared on an elevated throne, and the skirts of the seated one filled the temple, with seraphs hovering above them. These angelic creatures had six wings, two of which were used for flying or hovering. In the holy presence, the seraphs humbly covered their faces and their feet. One seraph would call to another, saying: “Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of armies. The fullness of all the earth is his glory.”​—Isa. 6:1-3.

Isaiah felt unclean. “Woe to me!” he exclaimed. “For I am as good as brought to silence [in death], because a man unclean in lips I am, and in among a people unclean in lips I am dwelling; for my eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of armies, himself!”​—Isa. 6:5.

One of the seraphs came to Isaiah’s aid. With a glowing coal from the altar of burnt offering, this seraph touched the lips of Isaiah, thus cleansing them.​—Isa. 6:6, 7.

Then Isaiah heard the powerful voice of Jehovah, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Without hesitation, Isaiah replied: “Here I am! Send me.” He did not ask what would be required of him or what he might gain by accepting the assignment. There was no question about his willingness. Thus Isaiah was commissioned to be a prophet to his own people. This was to be no easy task. Isaiah would be faced with extreme unresponsiveness, a situation that would continue until the land lay in ruins and its population was carried into exile.​—Isa. 6:8-12.

As Isaiah had a message to proclaim, so do disciples of Jesus Christ. God’s Son declared that ‘this good news of the kingdom would be preached in all the inhabited earth.’ (Matt. 24:14) Have you willingly offered yourself to do this work? Like Isaiah, are you faithfully sticking to it despite the unresponsiveness of many people?