Here is a devotion to start your day!
A spoken version of this devotion is available through the Still, Here audio reflections podcast.
Scripture: Isaiah 6:1–8
Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. He touched my mouth with it, and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven.”
Reflection
Isaiah is transported into a vision of God’s holiness—high and lifted up, train filling the temple, seraphim crying, “Holy, holy, holy.” Confronted with this blazing purity, Isaiah does not feel inspired; he feels woefully inadequate. “Woe is me! For I am undone… I am a man of unclean lips.”
This is not neurotic guilt. It is clarity. In the light of God’s holiness, he sees both his own uncleanness and the brokenness of the people he represents. His confession is not just personal; it is communal.
But notice what happens next. A seraph takes a coal from the altar and touches Isaiah’s mouth—not to destroy him, but to cleanse him. “Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven.” The same encounter that exposes Isaiah also equips him. Only then does he hear the call: “Whom shall I send?” and answer, “Here I am. Send me!”
Confession before a holy God is not about staying face-down forever. It is about being purified for participation in His work. Love in the wilderness does not flatter us, but it also does not leave us in despair. It reveals, cleanses, and then sends.
Today, let reverence and honesty lead you not into shame, but into readiness.
A Prayer of Presence
Holy God,
Your presence reveals both my smallness and Your great mercy. As I confess what is unclean in me, touch my life with Your cleansing fire and make me ready to say, “Here I am; send me.” – Amen
Practice for Today
Spend a few minutes in silent awe—no requests, no explanations, just awareness of God’s holiness. Then write a brief, honest “Woe is me” confession and follow it with a “Here I am” response.
Consider This...
What part of my life feels most “unclean” or unworthy—and how might God be cleansing and calling me, rather than discarding me?
Carry This Prayer With You Today
Breathe in: Holy God...
Breathe out: ... cleanse me and send me
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