Isaiah 6: Here am I; send me!

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I! Send me.'"

- Isaiah 6:8 (RSV)

Isaiah of Jerusalem experienced a vision of God. He was transported, in some way we cannot yet fully understand, to the very throne room of heaven. There, he witnessed angelic worship of the LORD God, and was himself cleansed of the guilt of sin (the Hebrew words used, "cuwr" and "kaphar", actually refer to atonement). What a frightening and glorious experience!

The response of Isaiah to this experience is a response God can rightly expect of us all. The prophet responded to God's presence, holiness, glory, and merciful atonement by answering the call to ministry and service: "Here am I! Send me!"

Priests are called to stand between God and the people, representing each on behalf of the other. They are called to do the work of ministry on behalf of the people. Pastors are called to lead the people in mission and equip the saints for ministry.

Isaiah was neither priest or pastor, not a part of the "professional clergy"; he was a faithful layperson who responded faithfully to the Lord's call. Each of us is called to respond to God's call to minister and to serve. We are all ministers!

The prophet responded not out of fear, but out of love and gratitude. We as the people of God are not merely saved from something (Hell); we are saved for something - holiness, ministry, and service. We are SAVED TO SERVE!

Those who say, "I am not worthy" or "I don't have the right gifts to serve" are absolutely wrong; it isn't about our ability, but our availability.

On the eve to the year's greatest sporting event, the Super Bowl, we can look at two football players as examples. Randy Moss is a wide receiver currently with the Oakland Raiders. He may be the most talented wide receiver in the history of the game. Despite his enormous talent, he hasn't won too many games and has never appeared in a Super Bowl. Part of the reason for this is that Randy Moss is not a team player. He gives up on his team and on the games in which he plays, displaying an incredibly bad attitude and an unwillingness to utilize his great talent to its fullest potential.

On the other hand, Hines Ward of our own Pittsburgh Steelers doesn't have Randy Moss' size or raw talent, but makes up for it with determination, teamwork, and great heart. As a result, Hines Ward is one of the best two or three receivers in the game, a Super Bowl MVP and a likely future Hall of Famer. His willingness and his heart make the difference.

God can use us in wonderfully miraculous ways if we simply make ourselves available to him, if we answer his call as Isaiah did centuries ago, "Here am I! Send me!"

I am reminded of a beautiful old song by the Christian rock and roll band Petra...

"I Am Available"
(Words & Music by Bob Hartman)

I don't have much to offer you,

I don't have much to give
There's so much I may never be

as long as I may live
I may never be all I want to be

although I'll always try
But if you choose me, to use me,

there's just one reason why

I am available, I am available
I will go when you say, "Go"
I am available, I am available
I will stop when you say, "No"
My whole life was incomplete

till I laid it at Your feet
So use me as You will,

I am available

I'm not the most dependable,

sometimes you can't rely
There's no excuse,

there's no defense,

there's only one reply

I am available, I am available
I will go when you say, "Go"
I am available, I am available
I will stop when you say, "No"
My whole life was incomplete till I laid it at Your feet
So use me as You will, I am available

I know that my ability is not Your main concern
It's my availability and willingness to learn

I am available, I am available
I will go when you say, "Go"
I am available, I am available
I will stop when you say, "No"
My whole life was incomplete till I laid it at Your feet
So use me as You will, I am available