I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. (Isa. 6:1)
Expanded Passage: Isaiah 6:1-3
Servant leadership in ministry can be both a joy and a challenge. I recently spoke to a young couple almost at the edge of quitting their ministry altogether. Fresh from seminary, this visionary couple, filled with a contiguous passion for the Lord’s work, had been sent out to lead a church on the outskirts of our city.
Unfortunately, this enthusiastic and graciously gifted couple was not well received and supported by that local assembly. For a long while, they grew frustrated and felt completely dejected. An inner false impression of God’s abandonment and a sense of ultimate failure in ministry consumed their lives. At the end of our informal conversation, I asked this lovely couple, “What vision of God did you hold in your hearts and minds while you led and served?”
Like this couple, we will encounter unpredictable life challenges that leave us emotionally and spiritually drained. We might face an overwhelming crisis of leadership failure all around us, unwarranted rejection, or personal difficulties. Nevertheless, in those moments, we can lean into what the prophet Isaiah saw and articulately described as the divine posture of our gracious Lord high and exalted, seated on the throne. We can keep this spiritual image of our great God sitting on the throne in full majesty in our minds and hearts, because our Lord reigns in unmatched splendor and holy magnificence.
See God as the majestic King of Kings.
Jim Machuku is an ordained minister, lead pastor, and educator. He is passionate about leadership development and community transformation.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
