Proverbs 16:2, 3 All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
Isaiah was offering himself and his works to the Lord. The assignment of the Lord would be a difficult one but Isaiah was willing. He, Isaiah, had already been through a tough life of being a prophet to an unrepentant people. He was faithful, however, to persevere in what the Lord was asking of him.
Many times, we are willing to do the ‘work’ of the Lord as long as it fits into our schedule or will look good on a resume. The Lord looks at what we do and how we do it. He knows our hearts and He knows our thoughts. He looks on why we do as much as what we do. He even knows what we think of the jobs we are assigned.
No matter what the job, do it as unto the Lord. The Lord uses great evangelists, janitors, famous sports stars, cooks, and secretaries. Brother Lawrence wrote in his book, ‘Practicing the Presence of God’, that the Lord is with us in the kitchen, scrubbing the floors and in our prayer time. There is nothing that we do that is not known by Him. He rejoices in a job well done because it reflects our love of Him and our willingness to serve even in the ‘little’ jobs. He desires to honor us with His praise as His ‘good and faithful servants’. Jesus spent three years trying to make the apostles understand that He came as a servant leader. He wanted them to desire to serve Him with a willing heart. It was not until after His resurrection that they finally understood. They all went on to serve Him even to their deaths. He desires no less from us. We will stand before Him at the final judgment with our record of service and motives laid bare. No excuses will be accepted. We, as His chosen people, will stand forgiven if we have repented. But our lives will also stand as His witnesses to the world.
Come before Him rejoicing in what He has entrusted you to do for Him. Do it with all your heart. Even when it doesn’t turn out like you thought it would, trust Him. He is in control and knows His plans for us. He loves us with an all-consuming love that covers our sins and raises us up to reign with Him in heavenly places.