The Paradox

Isaiah 6:5 “So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” (NKJV)

God already knows what is in our hearts. But God tests us to reveal what is in our hearts to us and sometimes to the people around us. God does not test us to grade us. 

God tests us to grow us. He already knows our grades. He knows our frailties. He knows our limitations. But He tests us to grow us. When He reveals it to us, we can say like Isaiah said, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” And it is because if God does not reveal you to you, you will think you are all that. But when He reveals you to you, you will realize that you need help. Then you can grow. Anyone who will be great will be tested by God. Abraham faced his own testing.

Anyone who will be great will need to face the paradox of the cross. What is the paradox of the cross? The paradox of the cross is outlined in Matthew 10:39 “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” (NKJV). What a paradox! The cross always comes before the resurrection. The sacrifice always comes before the blessing. And we see this repeatedly in the Bible; Jacob had to sacrifice being a trickster. Joseph had to sacrifice his dreams. Moses had to sacrifice the palace. David had to let go of the temple he wanted to build. How painful that must have been for David. 

Matthew had to sacrifice collecting taxes. Peter had to let go of the fish that he caught and carried from the sea. Mary had to let go of her Son, Jesus, for us. So, why does God work this way? It is because, in the moment of sacrifice, something changes. In that moment of sacrifice, what was under my control now comes under God’s control. So, it is no longer I but Christ and that is the beauty of it. 

When I say to God, “Here I am”, I Go To the Place I Never Thought I Would Go. When you say to God, “Here I am”, You Go To the Place You Never Thought You Would Go. Isaiah was going around saying woe to this person and woe to that person. Then God revealed Isaiah to himself. Isaiah 6:5 “So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.” (NKJV). God will test you to expose you to you. So that when you see how undone you really are, then you can ask for help and you can grow. 

Prayer: Father, please reveal me to me so that I will see things as they really are and help me grow into the person You want me to be, in Jesus Mighty Name. Amen!