"Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." Isaiah 6:8
"… Here am I; send me." I can't tell you how many times I have heard this proclaimed at a church meeting, denominational rally, pastor's group, or missions report. I can't tell you how many people I have heard "Amen" this verse… I can't tell you how many times I have personally recited it (and often even meant it when I said it). I can't tell you the answers to any of these questions but I can tell you we need more "Isaiahs" in the world today. Right now. We need them now.
Although the Old Testament book bears his name, the main character is not Isaiah. It is not King Hezekiah, the people of Israel, or the gentiles. The main character is Jesus Christ and the book is about Him. Matter of fact the whole Bible is about Jesus. As it pertains to the book that bears Isaiah's name, we must never forget that "the call," the very reason behind, "Here I am, send me" is all about Jesus, as well.
Yes, I have heard this verse "amen'ed," praised, and recited by myself and others more times than I could possibly count. But if those of us who have said it really meant what we said; there would certainly be more Jesus and less "us" in the world today. That is what being an "Isaiah" is all about. It is not about "us" (our mission, our call, our service) it is about Jesus (His mission, His calling, THE Suffering Servant).
Let us thank God that He has given us a chance to be a part of this great work. Let us learn from Isaiah just what it means to "be sent." Let us never forget why (or for whom) we are going…
I say it again today, "Here am I, send me!"
