ISAIAH 6:5-8

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2007

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, HERE AM I! SEND ME

5 So I said: " Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said: " Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged." 8 Also 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."

We all know the starting words for race at a track and field event. On your mark, Get set, GO.  Most of the time the runners are sponsored by a school or a club and there is a coach watching every move. After the race, the runners will want the coach to tell them what they did wrong or what they could do a little better.

The coach is probably amazed that the runners have done so well, as thoughts of the first time they ran come to his mind. He or she coached them to try to rid them of bad habits, to build up endurance, and to pay attention to and follow the instructions they would receive.

The Lord needed another on His team in His battle against Satan. Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send and who will go for Us?  "Here am I! Send me!" Isaiah responds.

Sometimes preachers will have a mission they want to pursue and they need volunteers. These preachers love to use Isaiah here and ask the people why they can’t be like Isaiah and say Send me, Send me? Don’t get discouraged if you cannot respond like Isaiah did. Isaiah could not have responded like he did if two important things had not taken place. In verse 5, Isaiah confesses his worthlessness and sinfulness. This is the coach teaching and training. In verse 6, following his confession of sinfulness, Isaiah’s sins are taken away. This is the coach removing bad habits. This then is the way we start the race when we serve God.

ON YOUR MARK = CONFESS YOUR SINS

GET SET = RECEIVE GOD’S FORGIVENESS

GO = HERE AM I, SEND ME

WE PRAY; Lord, I want to serve you but I don’t feel prepared. Help me to understand how my confession and your forgiveness can do more than increase my love for you. Help me experience the joy of being your instrument that can touch the live of others.

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

Bible Study and Prayer are the most important aspects of being able to say Here am I and then really do it. About a half hour after you have finished your reading and time of prayer, stop for a minute and recall what you have just read. If you can’t remember or don’t understand it, read that same portion of Scripture again. If for the runner it requires practice, practice, practice, why shouldn’t it be even more important for those who study God’s Word?