Week 44—Friday Isaiah 6:1-8
Week 44—FRIDAY
THE WORLD IS A MISSION FIELD
AND GOD THE FIRST MISSIONARY
Both the motives of the last command and people’s needs are inadequate. The last command would suffer from what we are pointing out in this book—it would be the Word become word. And the motive of people’s needs would suffer from the same disability—God would point out people’s needs to us but would do nothing to meet those needs. God would have to come to get us to go.
I have shared with you my first sermon and its failure, enough to dampen my zeal for the ministry. My first missionary adventure was also enough to dampen my zeal for missions. It was a home mission adventure in the mountains of Kentucky. Jim Ballinger, a singer, and I started to walk from Junction City two miles to where we were to stay for the night. It was cold and raining hard, and I was carrying two suitcases, one filled with books. As we walked along the railway tracks, to encourage my companion I called out, “Jim, I believe the stars are coming out.” Just as I said it I went over the side of a steep fill. I saw stars all right! On my way down the muddy embankment I lost my two suitcases. So I had to feel over that embankment in the dark to find them. When we got near the house a gust of wind blew off my felt hat. Impossible to find it—never did, for snow covered everything the next morning. When we got to the yard a creek had arisen, so I had to take a leap toward the other bank weighted down by two suitcases. I hit somewhere near the middle! At midnight we arrived, and our host was not expecting us! When we arrived in the mountains the next day I was invited to a one-room cabin where I was to stay—and there was one bed. My host said at bedtime, “You take the far side.” Then he got in and then his wife. In the morning we reversed the process! Real hospitality! I preached in a schoolhouse, and when I preached on “You shall not kill” my hearers turned pale. This experience dampen my zeal? No, whetted my appetite for more.
Dear Father, we see through Jesus what ought to be—and is! And the “is” is more wonderful than the “ought-to-be” for it “is”! We see it and love it and bow in deepest gratitude. Oh, the wonder of it all! The wonder of it all! Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: God’s hand is on my shoulder, God’s love in my heart, God’s words upon my lips.