A Responsive Heart
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.”
Isaiah loved God and desired nothing more than to follow His commands. His continual seeking after God was rewarded by God’s revelation to Isaiah of His majestic glory. Isaiah was overcome with reverent awe. Once he had come into intimate contact with almighty God, nothing could restrain him in his worship and willingness to serve. His entire being was consumed with love and praise.
However, had Isaiah not been actively involved in seeking God – had he not desired to know God – his reaction might have been drastically different. What a fearful thing to encounter almighty God while in a state of sin or indifference! Even with a heart that sought diligently for his Lord, Isaiah was moved to say, “I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5).
The act of human willingness to move toward the Lord always signals blessing. It is the first step in meaningful, divine dialogue. When God first calls us, we respond out of the abundance of our hearts. If our hearts are filled with self-interest, we will respond with denial of our need of God, total disregard of the call in preference of our own desires, or a conditional acceptance for that which is in our own perceived best interests. All of these choices are clearly prideful, self-serving and utterly foolish. Or, we can choose to willfully obey God and obtain the blessings He has for us.
