Isaiah, a farsighted leader

To kick off our 19th annual Treasures of Hope Christmas Store, we're profiling individuals who played a role in the story of Jesus' birth in #12DaystoTreasures.

Every time the Lord speaks is incredible, but when He reveals information that only will be fully known by generations not yet born, His infinite nature rocks our finite understanding. Awe surrounds us because when He shares His secrets, we truly see why the Bible says that God declares the end from the beginning.

God the Father commissioned the prophet Isaiah to participate with Him in declaring Who the Messiah would be. Feel the weight of Isaiah's prophetic assignment. He allowed himself to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to share the eternal plan of God. Isaiah was assigned to be a prophetic leader gifted with sight while sobered by the truths he was assigned to share without hesitation. Isaiah's prophetic words cleaved the world in two. They did, and they still do. People either believe the Father of Heaven sent His Son Jesus or they don't.

Imagine the humility of Isaiah when he wrote about the Messiah, the Son of God, the First-Born of Many Brethren who would come first as a Baby, live as a God-Man, minister as a Prophet, die as a Lamb, and rise again as King of Kings forever:

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:6-7)

 Our spiritual responsibility isn't Isaiah's, but God still gifts men and women today to share His heart and vision with the world. At Dallas Leadership Foundation, we yearn to hear the voice of God and follow in His steps in every encounter we have with the world He loves.

Through Treasures of Hope Christmas Store, we hope families enjoy the chance to celebrate Christmas with their families by sharing gifts, but our hope is that they experience the wooing of the Holy Spirit so that they may know the specific call of leadership He has in store for them.

If you want to donate toys and other items to Treasures of Hope so that we can make Christmas special for hundreds of Dallas families, please visit our online store at dlftx.org.