I’m unclean!

Woe to me! I cried.  I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!  Isaiah 6:5

Isaiah really is in a pickle isn’t he!  He’s standing face to face with the power and majesty of God and realizes that he’s not worthy to stand there!  He knows that if you stand face to face with the perfect God you’ll be annihilated.  

Seeing Isaiah’s reaction, God gives him a job.  God invites Isaiah to be a part of his missionary force!  How cool would that have been!  God himself brings you a message saying that he wants you on HIS team!  Not because of anything you’ve done!  Not because you’re the best looking, or the most eloquent, or the most put together.  Actually he chose you because you were not all put together.  He chose you when he sent his son to die for you. He chose you to be a part of his task force to bring the world to a knowledge of him. 

That’s amazing!  And he did it all for us without our deserving it.  That’s what makes this so great.  This week we’re talking about being poor in spirit.  That is reflected so well in Isaiah’s words – “I’m unclean!” 

He knows that he’s not worthy to carry out this task.  He knows he’s not the most qualified.  He knows that God could definitely do better, but that’s the attitude that God’s looking for.  He calls the people who are not all together. He calls you and me out of our normal, everyday lives to live in this union with him.  He invites us to participate in his mission and be a part of a worldwide movement that will transform people’s lives forever. 

On my own, I don’t have everything it takes to do this, but God brings us together and then gifts us with his Spirit so that we might accomplish anything that he sets before us.  Alone we are a people of unclean lips, but in Christ we are clean, forgiven, and equipped for any task God calls us to do. 

Lord, you cleansed us through your cross.  Remind us of the power of your forgiveness and the wonderful new life you call us to live.  Empower us with your spirit to live as you would have us live.  AMEN.