Here Am I Lord - Part 2.

The post below is the lyrics to the Hymn: "Here Am I Lord".

I love that Hymn. As much as I love the Hymn in its entirity, I love the Chorus.

Whome shall I send?

Here am I Lord. Is it I Lord? I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

"Here am I Lord"

First in the Bible by Abraham in Genesis. Then by Moses, at the bush. Then by Samuel, and Saul, and Isaiah, and fianlly by Ananias. In every case, God calls out to a person, and the person responds.

I think most people associate the song with Chapter 6 of Isaiah, and rightly so I think, as the rest of the song matches well what is communicated in that chapter of scrupture. But the words and usage, recognition and situation associated with the words "Here am I Lord" are more universal than application or reflection of any single scripture, or person, or account.

There is recognition in that "response". A recognition of who it is that is calling, and there is no doubt. The Lord calls.

There is desire. You can almost see it. A man, perched on the edge, leaning out, looking up, reaching ... It's the image of every believer, the image of their true selves, though many of us forget it.

And specifically in the case of Isaiah, the "Here am I Lord" is not a response to question, but instead to a need. Isaiah, sees the Father grieving, and there is a question, but it's not clear if it was asked of Isaiah, or God asking Himself as if speaking alowed. See the vision Isaiah recieves implies that it was God's intent that he hear the question, and thus implied that it is a question to which he needs consider. Given all that though, Isaiah responds, as if the Father did not bring Isaiah to exactly where he was witnessing the Father in the temple, "Here am I!". Then "Send me." You see Isaiah, wanting to do whatever, wherever, whenever - if it is the Father's will, and in His Will that a man should be an instrument of that Will, then Isaiah needed nothing else. If the Father had said, "...who's life will be taken...", I think Isaiah would hav responded the same way, "...Here I am...", "...take me..., if it is Thy will that it should be so...". I think that because at the believer's heart, the same desire is there for all. That, by my life or death, God's will and Glory above all. Love drives it. Love so great, and with no greater model than the Son that died to save us, that there is no greater desire than to to be called by the Father to whatever end. To go. To speak. To stand. To run. To die.

I am undone. I am unclean. I am imperfect. I am a sinner, and the holy, holy, holy Father sees my sinful heart. He saw Isaiah too, and still Isaiah became his instrument. So am I, though I know not to what end. I cut through the world around me, time and people and matter passing by with greater and greater urgency and I speak when I can, I love as I can, I stand where I can, and I run as I can, and I wait. I see the glory of the Lord all around me, in every drop of rain, and in every moment of warmth from the Sun, and in every breath of wind that blows past my face, and in my heart - the heart of who I am in Christ - I reach for the Father, and every beat of my heart echoes across the canyons of my life with, "...here am I, Lord...", "Is it I lord?", "...send me...".

Since the moment I woke from the sleep to which I was born, I have been asking, in my heart. "...is it I Lord...", "...is this work for me, Father?", "...I will go Lord, if you lead me...".

And so, Here I am. Still reaching. Still praying, in my heart, to be called. Still. Always.