Poor Isaiah! He has the chance to actually see the Lord in His glory—and it terrifies him. The only thing he can think of is his own unworthiness, his own sin. He doesn’t belong there—with the angels praising God, and all the glory, and the very temple shaking at the voice of praise. His own lips are filthy—full of lies, slander, guilty speech of every type. And he knows it.
Isaiah can’t help himself—but someone else can. One of the angels takes a coal off the altar and brings it to him. He touches his mouth with it, and says, “Your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
Wait a minute! Who took away the guilt? Who did the atoning? It wasn’t the angel; he simply carried the coal. That came from God’s altar, the place of sacrifice—and all by itself, it was enough to make Isaiah clean and ready for God’s service.
There are times when we, too, stand in the house of God and feel despair over our sins. Who can help us? Anyone who brings to us the Gospel of Jesus from the altar of His cross—so that we, unclean though we are, can become forgiven, new, and ready to serve Him. Because the Lord, Jesus Himself, has taken away our guilt through His death and resurrection, we are now forgiven and at peace with Him. And now that we are free and happy, we can say to the One who loves us so much, “Here I am! Send me!”
WE PRAY: Lord, thank You for forgiving me. Show me how to serve You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Have you ever been in despair because of your sin and guilt?
2. Where did you find help? Who brought it to you?
3. What is one specific thing you are glad to do for the love of Jesus, who loves and forgives you?