Would you dare glimpse what Isaiah saw? He had a vision of “the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne,” surrounded by angels calling to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” In awe, Isaiah could only cry out, “Woe to me! . . . I am ruined!”
Isaiah’s life-changing vision pointed ahead to the coming of the Savior. An angel touched a coal to Isaiah’s lips, announcing, “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for”—a powerful yet painful prophecy of the coming Savior’s work. So began Isaiah’s series of revelations of the coming Savior (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 11:1-10 . . .).
God commissioned Isaiah with two simple questions: “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Later the resurrected Christ would commission his followers: “Go and make disciples of all nations. . . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
The Lord’s command and comfort apply to every generation of believers. Will we bear the good news of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips? Will we go today into our work, our studies, our neighborhoods, and our social engagements with Isaiah’s vision of God’s redemption?
“Whom shall I send?” he asks. Will we say, “Send me”?
Holy Father, we can only imagine the vision Isaiah saw when you called him and changed his life. Grant us a glimpse of your glory so that we may share the same good news with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About the author — Norman F. Brown
Chaplain Norman F. Brown graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, in 1969. He served aboard destroyers during the Vietnam conflict and ashore in San Diego, Calif., as an instructor. By then God had made clear his call to work in pastoral ministry, and Norman entered Calvin Theological Seminary, graduating in 1980. Chaplain Brown pastored churches during his ministry career but spent most of his time as a navy chaplain. During one assignment he served three years at Holy Loch, Scotland, where he and his wife, Ruth, encountered the Iona Community and their emphasis on spiritual disciplines. Chaplain and Mrs. Brown have three married children and nine grandchildren.
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