Can God count on you?

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8).

The occasion for this scripture is that the prophet Isaiah, in a vision, sees the Lord seated on his throne. Around the throne seraphims were flying saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (Isaiah 6:3).

The vision Isaiah had was so powerful that he thought he was going to perish! “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5). As we continue to read this story, we see that Isaiah was cleansed from his sin of unclean lips. Afterwards he heard” Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

Let us consider the situation Isaiah was in, and the words he heard from the mouth of the Lord.

Isaiah saw the center of the universe and of the creation, God’s throne. From this throne the Almighty God rules his creation. A God so holy, that the seraphim in his presence hid their faces while shouting: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty”.

It was in the presence of the Lord Isaiah saw his iniquity, and realized he was lost. God's people are called to be a holy people. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. (1 Peter 1:15-17).

It is when we are cleansed from all our sin and iniquity, we can come with confidence before the throne of God. Isaiah first had this confidence after he was cleansed, and he could then say: “Here I am. Send me!” .

The words from the Lord: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” are just as relevant today as they were in Isaiah's time. God has made himself dependent on his people in order to reach the unsaved. God is so interested in people with a willing heart that he looks for them. “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30).

As human beings, we have many excuses for not serving the lord. We might not have the right qualifications, the right education, the right position or we are not spiritual enough. God, however, does not care about this. He is looking for willingness! If we are willing to let Gods will happen in our lives, then he will prepare and empower us for the tasks he has for us. For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him… (2 Chronicles 16:9).

When Isaiah saw the Lord on his throne, both the Lord and Isaiah knew about the people’s sin, uncleanness and iniquity. It was because of the apostasy in the nation the Lord needed someone to go to the people. To give them a warning, tell them to repent from their sin and to seek the Lord Almighty. It is the same situation today.

The Lord sees the sin, immorality and apostasy in Norway as in all the other nations. The question he asks is still the same as Isaiah heard: Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”.

Can God count on you?