Stumped

Isaiah 5:2-5- “He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the finest vines. He built a tower in the middle of it and even dug out a winepress there. He expected it to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes…What more could I have done for My vineyard that I did? Why, when I expected a yield of good grapes, did it yield worthless grapes? Now I will tell you what I am about to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it will be consumed; I will tear down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland.”

Isaiah 6: 8- “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: ‘Who should I send? Who will go for Us?’ I said: ‘Here I am. Send me.’

There are times when we pray for God’s will and for him to reveal His purpose and calling of our lives. When we ask, I believe He is faithful to answer however this does not mean we will be receptive of His response. We do not have to accept His response, but we will be only hindering ourselves from the greatness the Lord has declared over our lives. There is the greatness He has for us and then there is the greatness we have planned for ourselves. God reserves us the right to choose which we pursue.

As I read Isaiah, the above scriptures stuck out to me because they reminded me of our calling/purpose. Isaiah 5:2-5 exclaims the curiosity as to why so much time and effort was placed in planting vines that should’ve reaped good grapes yet worthless grapes were spawned. The planter broke up and prepared the soil (made it ripe and ready to receive). The planter removed the stones (things that could’ve hindered growth or cause it to go astray). Lastly, the planter planted the finest of vines (the preparation of things that would’ve contributed to the vine being strong and tall). There is a sense of confusion because all the proper measures were taken. Due to the unsuccessful reaping of the vines, they were then removed to be a wasteland. I thought of how The Lord has prepared me for my calling and has given me all that I need to go forward in His will, yet I have not reaped any good fruit. I allowed myself to grow distracted, lazy and adapt a spirit ungratefulness reaping complaint, emotional and physical distress. Though I have been praying fervently for His will in my life, it was made clear to me that His will was and is always present, it was I who did not accept and embrace it.

“Here I am. Send me,” discloses one’s willingness to accept the calling of a great mission. I remember declaring the same thing yet the fighting of the calling on my life displayed behaviors that pointed more towards the reality that I was not ready. I will ask the Lord to send me but fight and doubt him on the journey. The Lord is a god of refinement and refinery comes from enduring harsh conditions. Remembering, ‘This is what I prayed for’ can help hold ourselves accountable to the journey and seek positive ways that will help us endure.

Through allowing myself to get distracted shines light on the areas where I have doubt. I find that I am easily wavered in certain areas because of the lack of trust and faith I have in that area. I also see now how one area, like a domino effect, can trample the entire vision. Lack of trust can serve as a catalyst for stirring one’s priorities and rearranging them. Whenever there is disorder, there is more than one vision and when there is more than one vision, there will be a fight for power that can lead to the demise of your goals and dreams. As I have told the kids at my job, “Knowing where you stand is essential to not wavering into pressures of this world or into negative thoughts the enemy throws in our minds.” Much like our bodies, much like the church, every area of our lives works intricately with one another and must share the same vision. Every area of our lives must be working towards the same goal, otherwise we will not stand firmly against the ones or things that are set out against us. As the Lord rolls the rocks away, He is granting us room to flourish! I pray we take heed with open eyes and ears in the direction He has set forth before us.