Here Am I, Send Me

September 10

Isaiah 6-8

Psalm 103:11-14

Proverbs 22:12-13

Ephesians 6:10-23

Here Am I, Send Me

“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face and with two he covered his feet and with two he flew.  And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is Yahweh of hosts;  the whole earth is full of His glory.’  And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called out, while the house of God was filling with smoke.  Then I said, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of hosts.’  Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs.  And he touched my mouth with it and said, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is atoned for.’  Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?  Then I said, ‘Here am I.  Send me!’”  Isaiah 6:1-8  LSB

Isaiah had a vision of heaven.  He saw God seated on His throne and angels singing and praising Him.  His immediate response to the holiness and majesty of God was to recognize his own condition.  In the presence of God, he knew that he was sinful and wretched.  He didn’t try to act righteous or pretend like he had it all together.  When he came face to face with the “King, Yahweh of hosts” he saw the reality of his situation and he just humbled himself.  He was in complete and total awe.  The only thing he could say was, “Woe is me, for I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.”  He was overwhelmed by the vision and understood the vast difference between God’s transcendent holiness and the sinfulness of man, but he also saw clearly his own personal uncleanness.  Then one of the angels flew to him with a burning coal in his hand and touched his lips demonstrating God’s grace and mercy to cleanse Isaiah despite his unworthiness.  Isaiah heard the voice of God say, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?”  His immediate response was, “Here am I.  Send me!” 

This is a beautiful picture of surrendering to the calling of God on your life.  This doesn’t just apply to those in vocational ministry.  God has a calling for each of our lives and we can have this same type of transformative experience with God that will prepare us for service and obedience.  Submission to God’s plans and will results from an attitude of humility and gratitude.   Those who have had a genuine encounter with the King of the universe recognize who He is and who they are in relation to Him and are willing to surrender everything to him.  Jesus’ disciples understood this as well.  When asked by Jesus if they were going to leave Him, they responded, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”  John 6:68-69 LSB  Once you know the truth, there is no going back.  You know that there is no other option but to follow Him with all your heart.  Are you willing to say with Isaiah, “Here am I.  Send me!”