27 June | EVERYONE
“Also 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
In Isaiah chapter 6, the prophet sees God sitting on His throne. Down on Earth, the people of Israel were sad and full of uncertainties. King Uzziah had just died of leprosy caused by his rebellion. As if this were not enough, the enemy nations were coming from the north, devastating the countries they found in their path.
Fear, discouragement, and anguish spread among the Jews like leaves shed by disenchantment; but, in the midst of those sad circumstances, God did not lose control of history. From His throne, He ruled the destiny of nations, families, and people. Inspiring those who wished to obey, or allowing the ravings of the rebels, but not losing His control. God is eternal and sovereign, and Isaiah beheld Him in the excellency of His glory.
In the presence of the Lord the prophet fell to the ground and cried, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because 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 King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). At that moment, the angel of the Lord took a coal from the altar and placed it on the lips of the prophet saying: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged” (verse 7).
Only after beholding God in His glory and being purified from his sins did Isaiah exclaim, "Here am I, send me." Mission without devotion is a simple marketing of doctrine, and devotion without mission is nothing more than contemplative mysticism. Isaiah teaches us that first it is necessary to be a true believer who contemplates God in His greatness and receives forgiveness by His grace, and then after that comes sharing the beauty of the gospel with those who do not yet know Jesus.
Take Action
Nothing can compare to knowing God. You can know Him by meditating on His Word, and that knowledge will lead you to action (Immersed in it, you will realize that, also thanks to it, you will continue learning about Him.).