Read: Isaiah 6:1–13
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 6:8
Isaiah found himself in the presence of the Lord, and amid that presence, Isaiah was painfully aware of his inadequacies as a person. He was sinful. His lips were unclean. He was frail. And yet, for Isaiah, there was an even deeper desire to offer his life—as imperfect as it was—to God. As soon as he felt cleansed by God, his heart leapt and he eagerly responded to God’s call to service.
There are at least two conflicting impulses within each of us. The first is a deep sense of inadequacy. We are painfully aware of our shortcomings. Our secrets, sins, and public mistakes weigh heavily on us. We struggle to shake our inherent sense that we are deeply flawed creatures. And yet there is a second, perhaps even more powerful impulse that propels us in God’s direction. When we sense God’s presence—or hear God’s call on our lives—our hearts leap and our spirits soar and we feel ready to do whatever the Lord asks of us. We know we are sinful people, but that doesn’t negate our even deeper desire to respond exuberantly to God’s commands. The awareness of our sin can keep us silent in the presence of God, but the irrepressible desire of our spirit is to jump up and say to our Lord, “Here I am! Send me! Call on me! I am ready to do what you ask!”
Do you recognize in your human nature a divine impulse to serve God?
Lord, like Isaiah, without your help I am not worthy to stand in Your presence. Perhaps my selfish living has something to do with my sense that I cannot be more than my sinful nature dictates. But there is an even greater desire within me to serve You. If You would just call on me, if You would just choose me, if You believed I was able to do work on Your behalf…I know I could do nothing other than exuberantly leap into action. Here I am, Lord. I am ready. Send me! In Your name, I pray. AMEN.