God prepared Isaiah’s heart with a sight of Himself and His holiness. But the message that Isaiah was to take to the people was quite grim for that nation. However, He was commanded to take it. There was no real relief for that message in His day. There was a price to be paid for being faithful to God. The same price has had to be paid many times since Isaiah as well. That price is a true repentance of the heart. It is a rending of the heart and it is a turning from the idols of the heart. God will not dwell with idolatrous hearts and so there must be a turning of the heart from idols. Those idols can be the fear of men and the love of honor from men. Those idols can be the love of a successful church in terms of numbers and money. Those idols can be the love of comfort and peace. Those idols can be in accordance with a love of the status quo. Those idols can be in accordance with a love of power. Until the power of love which only comes from God overcomes our love of power we have no hope for true unity. We must count the cost and see if we are willing to pray for revival if it comes at a great cost. We can talk about revival and never see it, but until we pray we won’t see it. But until we are willing to suffer in order to pray, we won’t pray. It is so easy to offer words asking for revival. Are you ready to have your idols torn from you in order to truly pray?
Provocation to Prayer 37
By Richard Smith, Spurgeon Baptist Association of Churches
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