Here I Am. Send Me.

Isaiah opens Chapter 6 with a vision of the Lord seated on His throne, surrounded by seraphim calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” Their voices shake the thresholds, and the temple fills with smoke.
Isaiah doesn’t immediately respond by gleefully shouting, “Here I am! Send me!” Overwhelmed by God’s holiness, he instead laments, “Woe is me!” He recognizes that he is “a man of unclean lips” living among “a people of unclean lips.”
A seraph touches Isaiah’s mouth with a burning coal and declares that Isaiah’s guilt has been taken away and his sin atoned for. The very lips Isaiah confessed as unclean are now cleansed by God and will soon be used to speak His Word. Grace comes before mission.
It is then that Isaiah hears the Lord ask, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Not yet knowing what God will ask of him, Isaiah makes himself available: “Here I am! Send me.” God’s grace moves Isaiah from “Woe is me!” to “Here I am! Send me.”
Centuries later, John tells us that Isaiah “saw his glory and spoke of him,” referring to Jesus (John 12:41). Through Christ, our guilt is taken away; we are reconciled to God! We don’t serve to earn God’s acceptance; we serve because we have already received His grace. God sends us to live on mission in the places He has already put us—our homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, church, and city.
- Jenna Connor

[ EXAMINE ] the passage. At this point, answer some questions about the meaning of the text. Take time to reflect.
+ What does God do for Isaiah before asking, “Whom shall I send?” Why is that order important?
+ What does Isaiah’s response, “Woe is me!” reveal about what happens when we truly see God’s holiness?
+ How does God’s grace move Isaiah from “Woe is me!” to “Here I am! Send me”?

[ APPLY ] the passage to your own life.
+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?
+ What keeps you from fully embracing God’s grace? What would it look and feel like for you to say to Him “Here I am! Send me”?
+ How might God be calling you to live on mission right where you are?  Where has He already placed you—at home, at work, in your neighborhood, church, or community?

[ PRAY ] through the passage and your application, and ask God to change your heart and your life.
+ Pray with me:
Father God, I fall short of your perfect holiness, but through Jesus Christ you have cleansed me and forgiven my sins.
Help me to remember that I do not serve to earn your love, but because you love me, saved me, and made me your own.
When I feel inadequate or uncertain about what you would have me do or where you want me to go, please help me to persevere and follow through with whatever mission(s) you have for me.
Mold me into a disciple who is available to you, and ready to say “Here I am! Send me.”
I ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[ SHARE ] what God is teaching you with at least one person: your roommate,
your spouse, your kids, or your coworkers. Don’t keep what God taught you to
yourself.
(e.g., your family around the dinner table, a friend, co-worker or neighbor- for help join a community group at downtownhope.org/community-groups)
yourself:
+ Talk today’s message over with someone who is discipling you, and someone you are discipling.