Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.”
And now the Lord says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength— he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
This is what the Lord says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

What we see here in Isaiah is a discouraged prophet. He has tried everything to accomplish the will of God — namely to lead the Israelites in righteousness. But it has not worked. They have turned away.

Sometimes life can also feel this way for me. Serving and discipling can wear us down at times. Trying to lead people who decide they now know better than God is a tough calling. So how do we carry on in these circumstances?

First, we must remember our calling in Christ, and the wisdom of the one who called us into his kingdom and who called us to serve. We must call out his power, which is the same power that knows our days before we were born. He sees past my current impossibilities into my future victories in him!

Second, we must be honest with God and go to him and lay out our heart. We must share with him our struggles. And he will meet us there.

Finally, God encourages us by sharing a part of his vision for the future. He doesn’t always tell us all the steps along the path to get there. But he does give us promises we can hold tightly to in order to stay focused and motivated in our calling. Here, he vision-casts for Isaiah, telling him he will a) be a light of God (brilliant and powerful, attractive to many), b) he will have the attention and honor of kings and princes, and c) all of this is because he is called and chosen.

Lord, thank you for choosing me! You gave me a purpose in life and have destined me for greatness. I will come to you even when I’m discouraged because you care and you want to help me. You love me and have the best in store for me. I need your touch in my life in order to shine for you. Teach me to dwell with you in richer and more frequent ways.