To experience all of the abundant life God has for us, we must surrender completely to Him and His will. Isaiah came to that moment of surrender in the year that King Uzziah died.
Isaiah 6:1–In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord…
You see, all our earthly “kings” must die before we see Him clearly in all His majesty. Our earthly “kings” cloud our vision, obstruct our view, deafen His call on our lives. What “kings” have you set up in your heart? What rules? Let those things die so you may see the Lord in all His glory.
Isaiah 6:1-4– In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
When Isaiah saw this majestic and awesome sight, his reaction was not “Wow!” but it was “Woe!”
Isaiah 6:5– “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”
When we see God, really see Him, we can really see ourselves. And it is not a pretty picture. Even the best and purest among us, apart from the redemptive work of Christ, is as a filthy rag, unable to be used for anything eternally good. Seeing God in all His glory brings us to repentance.
Repentance is a solemn turning around–going in the opposite direction.
It means ceasing all comparison (i.e. Well, at least I am not like her…).
It means ceasing all excuses (i.e. Well, if that person had not done that thing, then I would not have…).
It means surrendering your whole life. (i.e. Lord, I am worse than I even imagined. But if you will have me, I am yours…)
And after repentance comes cleansing.
Isaiah 6:6-8– 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
And after cleansing comes the abundance and privilege of being used of God.
When Isaiah saw God in His glory, he couldn’t help but surrender his whole life, now cleansed and ready to serve.
Isaiah 6: 8–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.”
Oswald Chambers had this to say about this passage.
God did not direct His call to Isaiah—Isaiah overheard God saying, “… who will go for Us?” The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude.
What is the condition of your ears? We are all called by God. We are called to obey, to go, to speak, to be still and know that He is God. We are all called to sacrifice. We are called to take up our cross and follow Him. That sounds a bit frightening doesn’t it? But remember, as we die to self, as we accept covenantal sacrifice, we can also expect covenant blessings.
In the abundant life offered to us by our Good Shepherd, we are offered the great adventure of “going.” Think of this adventure as traveling with Jesus to unknown places of beauty and awe and wonder. We can go abundantly—equipped for every good work. And through this we receive abundance—rare and beautiful treasures found only in trusting Him and surrendering to Him.
We can go to others, offering the truth of abundant life, energized by the abundance He has provided for us each and every day as we walk closely with our Good Shepherd. We can go with our presence, go by supporting and sending others, or go by sending our resources. With current technology, we can “go” to the ends of the earth without ever leaving our living room. It is my personal conviction that we must go strategically.
It doesn’t matter if you are male or female, young or old. Joshua was 80 years old when he led the people into the Promise Land. I can tell you that you will receive far more than you could ever give. Ask the Lord where He wants you to go. This adventure is abundant life. Praying for you today!
Sara
