a word (isaiah 6:1-8)

Isaiah 6

Holy, Holy, Holy!

^1-8 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Master sitting on a throne—high, exalted!—and the train of his robes filled the Temple. Angel-seraphs hovered above him, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew. And they called back and forth one to the other,

Holy, Holy, Holy is God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
His bright glory fills the whole earth.
The foundations trembled at the sound of the angel voices, and then the whole house filled with smoke. I said,

"Doom! It's Doomsday!
I'm as good as dead!
Every word I've ever spoken is tainted—
blasphemous even!
And the people I live with talk the same way,
using words that corrupt and desecrate.
And here I've looked God in the face!
The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!"
Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal and said,

"Look. This coal has touched your lips.
Gone your guilt,
your sins wiped out."
And then I heard the voice of the Master:
"Whom shall I send?
Who will go for us?"
I spoke up,
"I'll go.
Send me!"


i read these verses this morning and my heart was pricked. isaiah is the place where i know the lord will speak to me. where he was so gracious to speak in 2006 and it has been really four years since i have returned to this place. dear place. and i desire nothing more than an honest word. not just the jolly rancher verses. or bubblegum prayers. but to really anticipate the word. and get into it. and get excited like a puppy to run up to my Master and greet him with happiness.

so get this. i love it. have you ever had a word or vision or something just rock your world in life and slam you in the face and you will remember. and by remembering you tell other people about it. you can't help but share. this is what it is for isaiah. this amazing sight of the cheribum the seraphs. these angels are crying out HOLY HOLY HOLY and they do this for eternity. that's their job. and the whole place begins to shake. and smoke comes out. really. ideally. this is true worship. and a house full of worship shakes the foundations. and if you know Jesus. that is where we stand on. it should shake our whole being. down to the core. who are you built of. maybe even a deeper question. who have you allowed in your house.

don't you see isaiah's response. when things go crazy. he freaks. i am doomed. i am screwed. life is crazy. um. i am just like the other people. don't kill me. i can just see him going nuts. because isn't that how we act when things don't make sense. but how sweet is our Father. he sends one of his angels. and brings him a coal and touches him on the lips. how sweet. how affectionate is that. sweetly telling us. shut up. just shush. and when we can quiet down. we can realize. our guilt is gone. our sin. our shame. everything is purged. thrown out the window. thank you for that blessed Jesus.

and after that. He calls to us. the Master. because we long for that. for anyone to acknowledge us. but how much greater is the God of the universe calling out "whom shall I send, who will go for Us? and will you...will you speak up.

"here i am Lord, send me."

no matter where you are. it's gonna be a risk. an adventure. it's not joke. sometimes you might have to put aside dreams. i did it. i wanted to be a youth pastor. i am now in the air force. not my idea. his. but i want it all. i want to be the one. saying send me Lord. where do you want me.

i hope this encourages you. i love you.

-stephenjoseph