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Here am I send me…
Here am I send me
Today I taught from the Lectionary at Dave and Candy’s house. The scripture was Isaiah 6:1-8 and Romans 8:12-17.
Isaiah’s Vision of the Lord
Isaiah 6:1 In the year that (A)King Uzziah died I (B)saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train[a] of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had (C)six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.3 And one called to another and said:
4 And (F)the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and (G)the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! (H)For I am lost; (I)for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the (J)King, theLord of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he (K)touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah’s Commission from the Lord
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for (L)us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.
Romans 8:12 So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh:
13 for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God:
17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
Today is the second Sunday following Pentecost, and we celebrate Trinity Sunday. We talked about the importance of Pentecost and how the infilling of the Holy Spirit transformed the first century disciples from timid men hiding for their lives into men empowered to spread the gospel, regardless of the cost. And, we talked about how important it is when a word is repeated in the Bible. When a word is used twice, it suggests intimacy, while a word repeated three times draws attention to what is being said. We also discussed how rare but special it is for God to hear the words “here am I, send me.”
Prayer: Father, may my every prayer be, “here am I send me.” regardless of what you are calling me to do.
Best laid plans
Jeremiah 29:11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you.13 When you search for me, you will find me; …
Be transformed, not conformed
Romans 12 (New Revised Standard w/ Apocrypha) 1I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may …
Comforting the Weary
4 The Sovereign Lord(M) has given me an instructed tongue,(N)
to know the word that sustains the weary.(O)
He wakens me morning by morning,(P)
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.(Q)
5 The Sovereign Lord(R) has opened my ears,(S)
and I have not been rebellious;(T)
I have not drawn back.
6 I offered my back to those who beat(U) me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;(V)
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.(W)
7 Because the Sovereign Lord(X) helps(Y) me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,(Z)
and I know I will not be put to shame.(AA)
I love the book of Isaiah, particularly the middle section where God tells Isaiah to give hope to the exiles because their time in Babylon is almost over. But, the Israelites can not see hope, and Isaiah probably thinks his words are in vain. Yet, he is encouraged by knowing that his words come from the living God, and therefore he does not turn aside but “sets his face like flint.”
Are you Isaiah or are you the exiles? Are you the persevering servant who speaks God’s words regardless of the circumstance, or do you identify with the exiles who had been under bondage for so long they had given up?
Regardless of which group you are in, know that God does love you and He is always available to hear and answer your prayers. When you determine to seek after holiness, part of that process is in reading the Scripture, and the more you read the more you will understand how it relates to your life today. Just as God wanted to offer hope to those whose hope was gone, He wants to offer hope to each of us today. Accept it, believe it, and live it, setting your face like flint toward the glory of God and what He wants to do in your life, and turning your back upon the bondage of the past.
Praise Around the Throne
Rev 7:9-17 Read 9-12 A Multitude from the Tribulation 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they …
Seeking Holiness 