“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” — Isaiah 6:8
>> Sign up here for Sports Spectrum devotionals sent right to your email inbox <<
The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany had come down to a final match between soccer powers France and Italy. The two nations had battled to a tense 1-1 tie after 120 minutes (90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time), and the match would be decided via penalty shootout. With Italy having converted on all four of its tries and France having missed one, Italy needed just one more successful attempt to secure the victory and the World Cup title.
With the dreams of an entire country on the line, Fabio Grosso was called upon to take the shot. Grosso was “astonished” to be entrusted with such a monumental task, feeling inadequate for the moment. Still, he accepted the assignment, stepped up to the spot, collected himself, and netted the game-winner to secure Italy’s first World Cup title since 1982.
An ordinary man, a daunting mission, a willingness to attempt the unthinkable, and the fortunes of an entire country at stake. Grosso’s story is reminiscent of God sending Isaiah to be a prophet for His people.
Near the beginning of the Book of Isaiah in the Bible, a man named Isaiah recounts how God commissioned him to be a prophet to the people of Judah (the southern kingdom of Israel) as they were careening toward destruction in their sin. The message Isaiah was told to deliver was a weighty one indeed: that God would purify His people through judgment for their sin, all in service to His greater overarching purpose of grace and restoration.
To announce such important news to his countrymen appeared exceedingly difficult, and Isaiah characterized himself earlier in Chapter 6 as ill-equipped and unworthy for the mission. “Woe to me!” Isaiah said. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). But God had called Isaiah to the job, purified him, and equipped him to be sent out. Ultimately, he trusted God’s promises above his own deficiencies and agreed to the commission.
You too are sent by God. It may not be to proclaim a message of judgment, but you are sent. Each day, God sends you to your specific workplace or school, to your family and friends, to your neighbors. And we are sent to these people with the Gospel message of unimaginable joy, hope and restoration, because “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).
This Gospel message is not meant to be hoarded but shouted from the rooftops! You’ve experienced God’s all-surpassing beauty, goodness and truth. Don’t you want the people in your life, the people you care most about, to experience that too? You’ve moved from death to eternal life in God’s presence. Don’t you want that to be the destiny for your loved ones too?
You may have been wrongly led to believe that God only calls pastors and missionaries into His plan of salvation. You may fear rejection or failure, or even feel as though you don’t know enough to tell others about Jesus. Well, Isaiah certainly felt inadequate for his mission too, but he trusted the One who sent him.
God is sending you into His mission too. Don’t miss your opportunity to participate.
— Kevin Mercer
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him <<
>> Dive more into God’s Word with Sports Spectrum through the YouVersion Bible App <<
If you would like to submit a devotional, please email all submissions to
devotionals@sportsspectrum.com
