“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!” Is. 6:8
Have ever you met someone who radically impacted your life and the way you think? It could have been the passion, love or wisdom of that person which influenced you. I have met such a man whose wisdom changed my way of seeing things and still another man whose passion for a cause sparkled in me the desire to do the same. I met these people for a couple of hours and have not met them again since. Some very important decisions I took in my life were influenced because of them and I’ll never meet them again to let them know. These people left their thumbprints on my heart and mind and I will never forget what they said. Through their books several authors also impacted my way of thinking and somehow shaped my character and still they will never know.
Jesus was such a man who radically changed the heart and mind of people. He left his footprint in each villages He visited. Jesus’ fragrance did not go unnoticed. His teachings spread through the world and changed the life of millions of people.
Being in fellowship with Jesus causes you to be such a person who is a blessing to the people you interact with. Are you such a person people like to talk with or avoid?
Does the word you speak communicate divine comfort, blessings, love or wisdom? Or do those words spread threats, curses, hatred, foolish jokes and hurt those who listen to you?
When Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord, the first thing he said was:
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King,the Lord Almighty.”
My heart is filthy and prideful and I also live among people whose heart are unrighteous. I feel so unworthy to stand in the presence of God. I have failed so many times in my conduct and word spoken. I’m ruined and an unfit servant of the living God.
It was a solemn moment when Isaiah saw the glory of God. The scene of the seraphim picking a piece of burning charcoal on the altar and touching Isaiah’s lips with it was also emblematic. The divine creature did not cheer up Isaiah by telling him that his sins were negligible. It had to be dealt with even if it symbolically meant purifying the sinful part of the body by burning it. It’s a painful process to be purified of one’s sins – you’re brought to your knees until pride is taken away. When we stand in the presence of God, our sins come to light and guilt takes place. God knows that no mortal man can stand in His presence without feeling uncomfortable and He provided ways to atone for the sin of men.
“See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
If guilt and sin are still present in our hearts, God will not be able to use us to be that fountain of blessing to others. The God called out: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
The verse does not say: “Isaiah, can I send you? Isaiah will you go for us?”
Isaiah response was spontaneous, send me. If you’re hearing God calling out do not close your mouth. Say wholeheartedly, “Here I am, send me where you want and do what you wish”
In his book, Out of the comfort Zone, George Verwer pointed out that many Christian organization and churches struggle to find leaders willing to take responsibilities. Jesus himself said that the harvest is great but the labourers are few. Very few Christians respond to God’s call. They just stand as spectators seeing the churches going into ruin and evil spread. Edmund Burke said something about this attitude of passivity:
