July 13

God's Challenge To Man

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!” — Isa 6:8 BSB

From the depths of Heaven, there comes a cry for help—an appeal from the Eternal Trinity: “Who will go for us?” It echoes the great commission Jesus gave His disciples, to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Angels may serve those who are heirs of salvation, but only those who have been redeemed from among men are called to the supreme task of sharing the message of redemption.

Notice the preparation needed to respond to that call. First, there is the vision of the Eternal: “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne.” In this moment, the material temple Isaiah was likely worshipping in fades, replaced by the eternal—God’s throne takes the place of the altar and laver, His glory fills the air, and the Levites’ choir is replaced by the Seraphim encircling the sapphire throne. Above all, Isaiah sees the glory of Christ (John 12:41).

This leads to the vision of his own heart: “Woe is me, for I am undone.” When a person reaches the snowline, they realize the impurity of what they thought was pure white. Isaiah, likely the most devout man in Jerusalem, realizes, before the holiness of God, the hidden evil in his own heart and cries, “I am unclean!” Immediately upon his confession, his iniquity is cleansed, and he is ready to say, “Send me.”

Have you heard Christ’s cry for help? Are you entering into His longing for the souls of men? He says to each of us, “Could you not watch with Me one hour?” Offer yourself to Him, ready to be used in His service: “Here am I, send me, use me.”

Prayer

Lord, grant us ears to hear, eyes to see, wills to obey, hearts to love. Then declare what You will, reveal what You will, command what You will, and demand what You will. Amen.