How Will You Respond to the Call of God?
Scripture – Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)
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!”
Focus
Centuries ago, when God had a job to be done, God asked, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” A man named Isaiah responded, “Here I am. Send me!” Are you willing to say “Yes” to God today? Are you willing to represent God in your part of the world?
Devotion
Isaiah 6 begins with the prophet’s vision of a thrice-holy God: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty” (6:3). Isaiah’s first response to this revelation is to lament his own sinfulness: “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined!” (6:5). Yet, through an angel, God removes Isaiah’s sin. Then the Lord poses a question: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” (6:8). Isaiah’s response is one of simple trust: “Here I am. Send me!” Isaiah will take God’s message of justice and hope to the people of Israel.
In many ways, our story parallels that of Isaiah. We have seen a revelation of God’s holiness in Jesus Christ. Like Isaiah, we might at first recoil from the Lord because of our sin. Yet, our sinfulness has been cleansed by the mercy of God through the death of Christ. Moreover, like Isaiah, we have been cleansed in order to share God’s message of justice and hope to the people around us.
When God considers your co-workers, your neighbors, your family, your fellow students, your friends at the gym, your brothers and sisters at church, the people without homes who hang out downtown, and the other people in your life, God asks: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” How will you respond to this question?
In a way, God has already “sent” you to your place in the world so that you might bear witness to him in deed and in word. You have the opportunity and, indeed, the calling to live for God right where you are, at work and at home, among your friends and colleagues, in all that you do. Will you accept the mission to which God has sent you? Will you live for God’s purposes in all that you do?
Reflect
So, how do you respond to the Lord’s question? Are you able to say, truly, “Here I am. Send me”?
What keeps you from offering yourself as God’s representative and messenger?
What helps you to be fully available to God?
How might you live for God in the context of your work today?
Act
If you are able, tell God that you’re willing to be “sent” into the world as God’s representative. Be ready to share the grace of God with the people in your life, including your colleagues, your neighbors, and those with whom you live.
Pray
Gracious God, you are indeed holy, holy, holy. The more we experience your holiness, the less we feel worthy to serve you. Like Isaiah, we know that we are sinful people of unclean lips. Yet, in your mercy, you have called us to yourself and set us apart for your work in this world. You have cleansed us through Christ so that we might serve you with all that we are.
So, our answer is like that of Isaiah, though sometimes it’s inconsistent and hesitant. Yes, Lord, send us! Send me! To my neighbors and friends, send me. To the folks at church, send me. To my colleagues at work, send me. To any who needs to experience your love and grace, send me. Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the High Calling archive, hosted by the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: When It Feels Risky to Talk About God
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Mark D. Roberts
Senior Strategist
Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a Senior Strategist for Fuller’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership, where he focuses on the spiritual development and thriving of leaders. He is the principal writer of the daily devotional, Life for Leaders,...