The Well

SEND ME!

In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Hovering around him were mighty seraphim, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with the remaining two they flew. In a great chorus they sang, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty! The whole earth is filled with his glory!" The glorious singing shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire sanctuary was filled with smoke.
Then I said, "My destruction is sealed, for I am a sinful man and a member of a sinful race. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD Almighty!"
Then one of the seraphim flew over to the altar, and he picked up a burning coal with a pair of tongs.
He touched my lips with it and said, "See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven."
Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?"
Isaiah 6:1-8

Isaiah loved King Uzziah. This was a crisis moment in Isaiah's life. When his friend and his king died Isaiah turned to the Lord in his grief and God showed up. He was truly in the presence of Jehovah. When God is ready to take us to a new level of commitment and service, many times He will use a crisis to bring us to our knees so that He will have our full attention. Such was the case with Isaiah and such will be the case with us.

When the Holy Spirit meets with us in our spirit, it is often a time of crisis when we are on our face before the Lord. One of my favorite "tapes" of years past had one song on it that described this scene with Isaiah as a chorus. It calls out to be taken into the "Holy of Holies." We can only go in through the blood of the lamb, and while there the seraphim will take the coal and touch our lips so that what we say will be pleasing to the Lord. After all, our sins were paid in full by the blood of the Lamb on Calvary.

Once we have met with God in this way, we too will cry out like Isaiah, "Lord, I'll go! Send me!" If this is not the cry of our heart, it might be a good idea to fall on our knees and ask Him to send the seraphim back again!

Many of us say the words and then back off, waiting for a more "appropriate" time to serve the Lord and then lose the passion that once spurred us on to intimacy with Him. Then others of us run straight out and try to share what the Lord has done, only to be disappointed when no one hears our message.

Isaiah received immediate instructions on what he was to say and it wasn't pleasant. Such may be the case with you. I know it has often been the case with me. However, when we operate in the Spirit, in God's timing, whether anyone hears us or not, we will be faithful to the call. I failed in this area, but God is bringing me back up. His strength is perfect! My heart's cry remains, "Lord, I'll go! Send me!"