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!”

Isaiah 6:8

We live in busy times. For many Christians attending church is an item on their checklist. They feel that by attending church weekly, they have fulfilled their “spiritual duty.” We live in a world where believers are not excited about the Lord’s work and have lost their compassion for the unsaved. This has caused many believers to live in a worldly and sinful way.

Our heavenly Father desires an intimate relationship with His children. As in Bible times, He still has personal encounters with His people—sometimes to comfort or encourage, at other times to guide or convict of sin.

The scripture today is from a passage in Isaiah where the prophet had such a fresh encounter with the Lord. To get a clear picture, I would encourage you to read Isaiah 6:1-9 during your Bible study time today. When the prophet Isaiah, encountered God he saw his ruined and unclean condition. His eyes were opened anew to the holiness and majesty of God.

When we have a fresh encounter with God and He reveals His presence to us, we are likely to be overwhelmed with awe and a sense of our unworthiness. This should cause us to be humbled, and we should desire to repent and return to obedience and fellowship with our Lord.

We cannot manipulate or create divine encounters, but we make them possible by being available to God. Are you spending time with the Lord, praying and reading His Word? Or has life become too busy and your spiritual walk too mechanical?

Ask God for a fresh encounter. Spend time praising the Lord, confessing sin, and surrendering all areas of your life to Him. Then expectantly watch for Him.

Janet