"Here Am I; Send Me"
When Isaiah hears the call from God, he immediately responds, "Here am I; send me" (Isa. 6:8). Notice that Isaiah answers the call before he knows the details of the assignment (see also Heb. 11:8).
Isaiah does not respond because he believes he has the necessary gifts and talents or because he knows that he will do a good job. And he does not respond because it is a task that appeals to him (he does not even know what the task is). Isaiah responds because he knows that although he is unworthy, God is worthy. Although he is powerless, God is all powerful. Although it may not be a mission he would have chosen for himself, it is a mission God has chosen.
Read the Great Commission to go and teach all nations-perhaps the most important commission in all of Scripture (Matt. 28:18-20). Read carefully the first part of this commission. Why is this an important section that we must not overlook?
The "therefore" is critical. The only reason we can go and teach all nations is because we go in the power of the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth. If we had only our own strength, we could not go. If we relied on our own skills, we could not go. Our mission is fired by Jesus, who owns "all authority" (NIV), or "all power" (KJV), in the universe (see Acts 17:28, Heb. 1:2, Col. 1:16).
If we are willing, God gives us the power we need to accomplish the mission He gives us. He purifies Isaiah's unclean lips (Isa. 6:7); He gives Mary the Holy Spirit and " 'the power of the Most High' " (Luke 1:35, NIV); Jesus prays for Peter (Luke 22:32); He anoints Saul with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17, 18); He puts words in Jeremiah's mouth (Jer. 1:9). Should we expect any less for ourselves, now at this crucial time in earth's history?
| What, if anything, is holding you back from doing more for the Lord? What changes must you make? How can you learn to rely on God's power and not your own gifts, whatever they are? |
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