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“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. . . your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Relationships are rewarding. No relationship is more meaningful and important than the one we have with the Lord. Our present and eternal life depends on that relationship.

Yet how can we be certain that such a relationship exists? And if it exists, how can we be sure it will endure? We can’t help but recognize the vast gulf between our nature and his. He is absolute perfection, while our life reveals countless imperfections.

Before him, the heavenly angels shield their faces and feet with their wings. They cry out in reverent awe, “Holy, holy, holy.” The holy Lord demands and deserves such holiness from us.

Yet the Lord of matchless majesty is also the Lord of matchless mercy. He bridges the divide between his holiness and our sinfulness. The bridge he provides is Jesus. He takes our sins and bears them all upon the cross. Our guilt is completely taken away, and in its place, he freely gives us his grace. Before the holy God, we are holy, for Jesus’ holiness is ours.

In the freedom of God’s forgiveness, Isaiah confidently received God’s invitation to be his prophet. He boldly answered God’s call, “Here am I. Send me!” The Lord still sends out messengers to fearlessly confess his saving name with faith-driven courage. Our holy and gracious God draws even more people into a relationship with him as his saving word is proclaimed.

Prayer:

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.