by Desiree Bustamante

No one in God’s kingdom is without a priceless purpose.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“The Lord called me before my birth;
     from within the womb he called me by name.
He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel,
    and you will bring me glory.”
I replied, “But my work seems so useless!
    I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose.”
Isaiah 49:1, 3-4a New Living Translation

Have you ever felt beat up by life, wondering what your purpose is or if you are fulfilling it? You might feel like the merchandise of holidays past…relegated to a shelf in a forgotten corner of the store, possibly broken, or mangled, and marked down to below profiting anyone. If you’re there long enough, you feel that you might be headed for the dumpster.

You are not alone. Isaiah felt like this. He knew his calling to preach to Israel was from the Lord, but his work seemed useless when they did not turn from evil despite his words of warning from God. He felt that he no longer had any purpose, and he grew weary of working to accomplish His mission.

If you feel this way, you might give up. You might work harder. Maybe you question if you are even doing what God wants you to do.

“Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand;
     I will trust God for my reward.”
Isaiah 49:4b New Living Translation

Isaiah surrendered his purpose and plan to God, trusting Him for his reward. God delivered. Later in the same chapter he promised Isaiah:

“You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
    I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
    and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:6 New Living Translation

Now that seems like a rather high calling, turning an entire nation back to God. However, God has a plan for each one of us, that he has specifically created, to bring glory to His name. It might not be restoring an entire country back from their evil ways, but it could be blessing someone unemployed with food or funds, teaching a child about Jesus, aiding the poor and homeless, or encouraging the ill, the grieving, or the lonely. God esteems all of these things as the highest calling in His kingdom. So take heart and believe what God says in His Word…that you will bring God glory when you persevere in faith. You are making a difference for Him!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado