“In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord seated on a high, elevated throne. The hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly. 3 They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! His majestic splendour fills the entire earth!” 4 The sound of their voices shook the door frames, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 I said, “Woe to me! I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” 6 But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” 8 I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!”” Isaiah 6:1-8 NET
Lord God,
I do not know whether this was a vision, a dream or reality! But I do know it was not just an impression It was three dimensional and so detailed as if reality! So real it terrified Isaiah. Angels voices shaking the ginormous stone door frames of the Temple. I would have been cowered in a corner with my hands over my head or in a faint . . .
Isaiah knew he was a sinner, as we know we are, if we are honest. Good as we may seem, hard as we may try we are not all good. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:15, thank God for His indescribable gift! Speaking of Jesus and His forgiveness. But Isaiah did not know Jesus. A seraph flew over and touched Isaiah’s lips with a hot coal from the altar, the place where sacrifices for sin were made to God. It purified and changed him from a trembling penitent to a confident servant. And no burnt lips, thank you Lord. We need Your Holy Spirit to touch us, live in us, to burn up our sin, reassure us and give us confidence in You.
Not because of anything we have done but because of Your sacrifice. So touch us afresh Lord today.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Suggestions for prayer . . .
Lord God,
For our close family. Your love showing the way.
For our extended family, friends, neighbours.
For our fellowship, ministers and congregations.
For You to touch Your church people again to revive and refresh.
Those we have been asked to pray for by church or friends.
For our king and all those in authority (1 Timothy 2:2). Royal reconciliations.
For Parliament and the upholding of all that is good and right.
For those still flooded and those dreading more rain.
For Ukraine and Russia.
For Gaza, all around the Middle East. Lord only You can bring about a desire to end hostilities.
For churches across the world where Your Spirit is moving and there is growth and new believers.
For us to know Your Holy Spirits presence to keep us rejoicing, generous, kind and longsuffering with patience.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Saturday 28th September 2024
Love this song – what moved John Mark Hall to write it is under the lyrics below.
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I, that the bright and morning star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart?
Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
You’ve told me who I am
I am Yours
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again?
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me?
Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
You’ve told me who I am
I am Yours
I am Yours
I’m all Yours
Whom shall I fear? Whom shall I fear?
‘Cause I am Yours
I am Yours
Lyric: John Mark Hall
According to Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall the idea for “Who Am I” came while he was driving home with his wife and children one night. Hall, who was having personal worship time during the drive, recounts that he wondered “Who am I to think I can just call up to God whenever I want, from the middle of nowhere, and expect Him to hear me?” Hall says “immediately I started thinking I’m a new creation, I’m more than a conqueror… I’m [also] grass, that is rises up and is gone in a day”. In an interview, he commented that “me being a conqueror is true, but at the same time I need to understand that my life is a vapor, and me being able to even pray to God is because of what he’s done for me”