“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

For me, the prophet Isaiah has always been an interesting Old Testament figure, from his calling in this chapter to his walking and preaching naked and barefoot for three years (Isaiah 20:2-3). It seems he always gave all of himself to the work of the Lord.

Jesus quoted him and commanded us to read his writings. “And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.” (3 Nephi 23:1) His love for the house of Israel was deep and the work challenging. One of his great tasks was to prophesy to Israel concerning the impending captivity.

Isaiah 6 gives us a look into heaven and what it is like around the throne of God. Angels praise God, and the glory of God is manifested. Isaiah saw himself as he was: “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5).

But God had a work for him to do. God sent an angel to Isaiah to purge his sin by touching a live coal to his lips. Then, the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

“For us,” in this case, is a direct reference to God and Jesus. Isaiah had tremendous understanding of the Lord Jesus and the great love He would have for mankind.

Sometimes I complicate things, but I often find that the answer to a complicated question might be the simplest.

“Then said I, Here I am send me.”

Isaiah wasn’t worried at this moment. He wasn’t asking, Do I have enough knowledge of my subject? Do I have the capability to speak in front of a group of people? Can I speak one on one with someone?

His answer was simple and to the point. Sounds like Moses when the Lord sent him back to Egypt with the original message, “Let my son go” (Exodus 4:22-23). A simple message and a willing messenger.

“And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” (Matthew 10:18-20)

All you need to do is say, “Here I am.” The Lord will find a way to give you what you need when you need it—if only to do a simple task, such as point someone in the right direction, be a listener, or pray.

We all can say “Here I am” and then let the Lord send us.

We must start somewhere some time. Taking the first step could be easy or hard, but it will always take us forward.

God bless you.

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.