For I am Undone!

"Woe is me, for I am undone!

Because I am a man of unclean lips,

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;

For my eyes have seen the King,

The LORD of hosts."

These are the words of Isaiah at the begining of Isaiah 6. "Woe is me, for I am undone!" The cry of so many. The mighty in God to the youngest spiritual person. "Woe is me, for I am undone!" Undone and unclean. Its amazing how much we pale in comparison to the glory of God. Isaiah had just witnessed the praises of the angel of God and was overwhelmed by not only the presence of this angel, but the presence of God that the messenger had brought with him. Its amazing how incredible the presence of God is and the place that it brings us emotionally and spiritually. Often times I find myself in the same place. In life I have either became so high on myself because of what I have done or I have berated myself for things that are out of my control, but when I am in the presence of God I become undone. Truly open to him. My insecurities, my uncleanliness, my doubts, my pride, all laid right out in front of him. My spirit undone before him driving me to a point of tears and surrender. Left on my knees in awe of his splendor and power. Left completely undone in his hands.

The next part of this interaction, the angel comes to Isaiah and touches his lips with a live coal from the altar of God. He then tells Isaiah that he has been purged from his sins and his unclean lips cleansed. This event and those words resonates in my heart as a reminder of the saving power of God. Although this is long before the sacrifice Christ made for mankind, it is a foreshadowing of the grace that all men would have access to. The grace to come in and cleanse us from our transgressions and purge us from our sins; grace that prepares us to bring glory to God as we were created to do. Cleansing us so that when God asks whom shall I send, we can stand before him and proclaim, "here am I, Lord send me!"

This scripture reminds me of the song Take Me In. The words are:

Take me past the outer courts, into the Holy place.

Pass the brazen altar, Lord I long to see you face.

Pass me by the crowds of people and the priests who sing their praise.

I hunger and thirst for your righteousness Lord and its only found one place.

Take me into the Holy of Holies. Take me in by the Blood of the Lamb.

Take me into the Holy of Holies. Take the coal, cleanse my lips, here I am.

Lord, I pray that you bring me into your Holy of Holies. I long to be in your presence. To be undone before you and to be cleansed by the coal from your altar. I pray that you bring me past the outer courts and the distractions that lie around it. I want more than anything else to see past your hands and to look into the eyes of the one who gave me life and who will never let me go.

Amen.