Vital Signs - Thursday, February 20, 2020

“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 NIV

“Meet me”. “Comfort me”. “Draw near to me”. These kinds of phrases are very familiar to us and can be defended biblically, and each echoes an element of what it means to have a genuine encounter with the Living God. And yet, on their own, they are not enough. They are not the whole picture. If they were to remain in isolation they might perhaps speak of a worship which is self-serving and self-centred - instead of one which is

God-serving and God-centred.

Indeed, as we dive deep into scripture, other phrases start to come to the front – for example in Isaiah chapter 6:

“Woe is me….”

“Send me…”

Yes, more ‘me’ phrases – but altogether different ones. Here in the presence of a holy God, Isaiah is not being lifted up, but instead He is being brought to His knees. And He is not seeking to me soothed, but instead to be sent. It seems to me these elements of confession, repentance and submission are sometimes too far from our lips in our modern day living.

There must come a time in the presence of God where we become acutely aware of just how holy He is, and in light of that holiness, how far we still have to go:

In the light of Your holiness

I’m undone by Your holiness

Send me Lord