Isaiah 6:6-8

“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!’” vs. 8

As great as it was for Isaiah to glimpse the glory of God in his vision, the best was yet to come. The seraph touched his unclean mouth with a live coal and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” In that moment Isaiah heard that forgiveness is part of the fabric of the universe, and that even a sinner like him could receive a call to proclaim that good news to any who would listen. That message has resounded among the people of God through the centuries and continues to be our one source of hope in this broken world. Even though guilt visits us regularly in the course of our lives, when we confess our sin, both individual and corporate, we are forgiven, and our unclean lips are made clean. But because this is a message that is crying out to be heard, with the cleansing there comes an invitation. Now most believers don’t identify with Isaiah’s experience–they don’t believe that they’ve been called to share the good news. But some do! And what a blessing it is when folks respond with Isaiah, “Here I am; send me!” They’re forgiven sinners like anyone else, but when they share the message of restoration with the broken, the world is changed!

Thought for the Day: How do I respond to the question, ”Whom shall I send?”