“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 6:8 AMP
The Prophet Isaiah finds himself in the temple of God while the presence of God is filling the room. Many today yearn for an experience of being in the presence of God. It is the very reason we worship. Worship is a directed, purposeful practice of refocusing our attention so we might encounter the living God. Isaiah’s encounter shows us the true reality of being in God’s presence. Look at his description of the event,
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw [in a vision] the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, with the train of His royal robe filling the [most holy part of the] temple. 2Above Him seraphim (heavenly beings) stood; each one had six wings: with two wings he covered his face, with two wings he covered his feet, and with two wings he flew.
The whole earth is filled with His glory.” 4And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, and the temple was filling with smoke.
Because I am a man of [ceremonially] unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
Isaiah 6:1-5 AMP
The realization that overcame Isaiah was that he was in fear for his life and that the reality of his sinful nature was clearly before him! The building was shaking! The presence of the living God an awesome sight! The seraphim crying with a loud voice, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts!” Isaiah’s response wasn’t to go running and jumping and carrying on in the presence of God. While all those things are appropriate at times, this moment was one of brokenness acknowledging the distance between who God is and who Isaiah was! Because of Isaiah’s response, the Lord sends an angle to touch his lips symbolically with a burning coal. Notice that Isaiah’s response is that his and the community’s “lips” were unclean. They had spoken great and mighty things about their religious practices but none of them were of any substance! His natural response to hearing the call of God after being cleansed. “Here I am Lord, send me!” Oh, that that would be the cry of every Christian after encountering God!
Week after week, we come into the presence of God and find ourselves no closer to surrender than the desire in our heart! The Apostle James encourages us,
“But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].” James 1:8 AMP
Look at those words, “actively,” “continually,” words of action putting into motion the commands of God. The key to responding to God’s word is to “internalize” it! The Word must get from the brain to the heart for from the heart comes forth all the issues of life!
I encourage you today to enter the throne room of grace and here those words, “Who will go for us?” The only natural and reasonable response to the cross of Christ is to say, “Here I am Lod, send me!”
"Here I Am"
“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 6:8 AMP
The Prophet Isaiah finds himself in the temple of God while the presence of God is filling the room. Many today yearn for an experience of being in the presence of God. It is the very reason we worship. Worship is a directed, purposeful practice of refocusing our attention so we might encounter the living God. Isaiah’s encounter shows us the true reality of being in God’s presence. Look at his description of the event,
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw [in a vision] the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted, with the train of His royal robe filling the [most holy part of the] temple. 2Above Him seraphim (heavenly beings) stood; each one had six wings: with two wings he covered his face, with two wings he covered his feet, and with two wings he flew.
3And one called out to another, saying,
“Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is filled with His glory.” 4And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, and the temple was filling with smoke.
5Then I said,
“Woe is me! For I am ruined,
Because I am a man of [ceremonially] unclean lips,
And I live among a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
Isaiah 6:1-5 AMP
The realization that overcame Isaiah was that he was in fear for his life and that the reality of his sinful nature was clearly before him! The building was shaking! The presence of the living God an awesome sight! The seraphim crying with a loud voice, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts!” Isaiah’s response wasn’t to go running and jumping and carrying on in the presence of God. While all those things are appropriate at times, this moment was one of brokenness acknowledging the distance between who God is and who Isaiah was! Because of Isaiah’s response, the Lord sends an angle to touch his lips symbolically with a burning coal. Notice that Isaiah’s response is that his and the community’s “lips” were unclean. They had spoken great and mighty things about their religious practices but none of them were of any substance! His natural response to hearing the call of God after being cleansed. “Here I am Lord, send me!” Oh, that that would be the cry of every Christian after encountering God!
Week after week, we come into the presence of God and find ourselves no closer to surrender than the desire in our heart! The Apostle James encourages us,
“But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth].” James 1:8 AMP
Look at those words, “actively,” “continually,” words of action putting into motion the commands of God. The key to responding to God’s word is to “internalize” it! The Word must get from the brain to the heart for from the heart comes forth all the issues of life!
I encourage you today to enter the throne room of grace and here those words, “Who will go for us?” The only natural and reasonable response to the cross of Christ is to say, “Here I am Lod, send me!”
Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken