Wednesday's Word...

Isaiah 6:1-8

(1) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

(2) Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

(3) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

(4) And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

(5) Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

(6) Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

(7) And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

(8) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

I have to be honest...I quietly steer clear of many newcomers to the hobby. It's not that I don't like them or that I don't like sharing what I know. I actually enjoy showing someone the ropes to scenery, maintenance and such. But, experience has taught me that a sizable number of these folks will end up with a dust covered "Plywood Pacific R.R." pining away in the corner of a garage, basement or attic in less than a year, the reality of the diverse skills, time and money involved smacking them upside the head pretty hard. If they stick with it that first year or so, then I know I have a fellow hobbiest who truly enjoys the hobby for what it can do for you rather than what it appears to be on the surface.

Alas, the same can be said for far too many of those I've met over the years in church. The initial "Rah rahs" have given way to the hard reality that there is more to the real faith than what meets the eyes. So many don't see the LORD as King of all Creation so much as they see a debt counselor, medicine man, cosmic life ring or celestial panic button. When the true price of believing rears its head, their starry visions, plans and dreams get set aside for the tyranny of the here and now, thus allowing the dust to gather on any faith they might have had at the beginning.

Tears must be shed, pain must be endured, losses must come, that which appears good must be set aside for the better---we must see ourselves and our desires for the absolute wretches that we and they are apart from Him. That He must redeem, He must sanctify, He must deliver and He must call. Once you see yourself for who you really are and He does the necessary work of redemption and sanctification, if you are still willing, then and only then can He send you out as one of His own.