Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke. “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.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 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 6:1-8 (NIV)
One of the challenges associated with reading the Bible and applying it directly to our daily lives is dealing with passages such as this. The Old Testament is loaded with such passages, clearly laid out in the scripture in terms applicable to people two thousand-plus years ago. The good thing is that these passages do not lose their meaning with the passage of time. Let’s explore that further.
In this passage, Isaiah referred to himself as “a man of unclean lips” and confessed his sins before God. Simply having seen God compelled him to seek forgiveness and ultimately compelled him to volunteer and respond to God’s call. He viewed the opportunity to serve God as his response to God’s forgiveness of his sins.
We live in a world today where, unfortunately, people no longer are willing to eagerly raise their hand and volunteer when asked or needed......even if the task is worthy and poses little or no risk to the volunteer. Most Americans alive today have been asked or had the opportunity to volunteer to serve our country in times of war or armed conflict. In each case, the risk was high, as was the sacrifice of life, but the underlying mission or purpose was, for the most part, worthy. Protection of our way of life and freedoms or stopping something truly evil were such missions. Many volunteered and accepted the risk. But would they do so today?
For most of us, however, opportunities to volunteer carry no such risk. And to those recipients of our service, the benefits are great. As Christians, we are called to serve. That service may be in the form of local or global mission support, care or outreach, church leadership participation or by being a part of things that make the church function. It can also be in the form of walking with a brother or sister in need.
Like today’s Old Testament passage, the Lord will call each of us to serve and may ask us to take on risk or put ourselves in a situation where there could be loss of life. It may be as a member of the military or as a law enforcement officer or first responder. It may involve risk to your job or status. Or it may be in a role as someone willing to help another person through a volatile or messy situation.
Regardless of the circumstances, how will you respond to God’s call? Will you pass the opportunity to someone else and stay on the sidelines, or will you say, “Here I am Lord, send me”?
I already know which choice I will make. How about you?
Thanks be to God!
Questions for Reflection:
- Have you responded to God’s call? If so, how and when?
- Have you responded in situations where there was risk?
- Have you always agreed with what you were called to do?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please help me to respond to your call and do what you ask of me. I know that what you ask me to do may come with risk, but I know that it is all part of your plan. Please use me and the talents that you have blessed me with for your glory. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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