Isaiah’s Vision

He was a holy man of God,
but cried in deep dismay,
“I am a man of unclean lips,”
while bowed in prayer that day.

“The year that King Uzziah died,”
who ruled the land quite well;
but there were trends, the prophet knew,
his nation’s doom would spell.

Isaiah sadly viewed the scene,
(so troubled was his mind!)
an ox could find his master’s crib,
but Israel was blind.

They did not see nor understand,
nor did they seem to care
that sin was rampant, truth was lost,
and crime ruled everywhere.

Isaiah’s plea, “of unclean lips,”
applied to them most sure;
but did he mean his own as well,
were they not clean and pure?

No, when he saw God’s glory in
the scene revealed to him,
he could not lift his head, but cried,
“Undone!” and felt his sin.

An angel took a glowing coal,
and touched the prophet’s tongue,
commissioning to preach God’s Word,
to both the old and young.

The query came, “Who’ll go for us
and whom now shall I send?”
Isaiah said, “Send me, I pray,
Your cause I shall defend.”

We’re quick to see our neighbor’s sin,
and we should be concerned;
for sin is vicious and it blinds—
the wisest have been burned.

But faced by God’s true holiness,
we have no good to claim;
we’re justified alone by grace,
through faith in Jesus’ name.

The Bible bids us condescend 
to men of low estate.
We’ll love the sinner, but his sin
most surely we will hate.

We cannot win the sinner when 
we hold ourselves aloof;
sincere compassion for the lost 
will give our calling proof.

Let’s be reminded, “All have sinned,”
our sins we all must face;
but Christ has died for everyone;
all may be saved by grace.

So friend, let’s open up our hearts,
let God reveal our sin;
then with a contrite heart, we’ll go 
and sinners we will win.

fpn/1975




Picture: depositphotos.com #102765608, editorial license