When You Pass Through the Waters

But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead"
(Isaiah 43:1-3)

As I watched coverage of the devastation left in the wake of hurricane Sandy, these verses continually came to mind. I imagine, in part because of the literal references to water and fire - which were witnessed again and again. 

These verses speak not only to the present, though. Rather they are intended to remind God's people that they have survived to this point because of His love and protection, His care and concern. He promises to continue that care and concern into the future -- in spite of what lies ahead.

I can't imagine what it's like to lose everything in a fire or to watch my house crumble or float away before my eyes.  I was brought to tears many times, and was unable to wrap my mind around the devastation of the storm!

But I have had trials and struggles. God has brought me through each one to a conclusion of His chosing, His design, His plan. No I haven't literally lost all my worldy possessions. But I have had to give up dreams, struggle with life's battles, deal with the world and all it throws at me.  On a personal level, it kind of sounds like whining, I guess, compared to what those in the path of the hurricane are dealing with right now.

My point is, that God doesn't just love and protect His people collectively, but also each of us, individually. When we walk through the waters of fear or doubt, or venture through the fire of sin or shame, God surrounds us and protects us - so that we can come out on the other side, renewed and reformed.

So many lives devastated! I pray for each of them and pray God blesses them, touching them with His grace and comfort through the days ahead.  And that I remember them and their struggles, when I begin to feel burdened with my life situations.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Come Out! Be Free!

"This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’ “They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.  He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water. I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up. See, they will come from afar—some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan.”  Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones" (Isaiah 49:8-13 NIV).

Such incredible imagery in these verses! So much hope is stirred at the promise of rejoicing, comfort, relief, rest, peace.

These last several months of the election cycle have left me so dissillusioned and sad, and sometimes just downright distraught at the state of our country and of the world! Added work load at my job has often left me stressed and worn out. The diagnosis of a serious illness of a close family member has sent me alternatively shaking my fist at the sky and falling prostrate at the foot of the Cross.

While the circumstances in Isaiah are completely different than those of my daily life, the words are not lost on me.  They remind us that God can--and does--provide for us, makes a way for us, cares for us, frees us from our doubt, fear and sin. I don't know how any of these situations will turn out. But I am (and all of us are) assured that God will help us, restore us, free us and have compassion on us.

No, I don't really have any right to complain about anything! So tonight, in spite of the burdens I am bearing, I shout for joy! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones!

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

What is Mankind that He is Mindful of Them?

"what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:4 NIV)

David is asking God how he can even consider mere humans to be worthy of His time and attention. He tries to grasp the majesty of a being so great and mighty and yet so loving and generous. Keep in mind, this was hundreds of years before Jesus walked the earth.

I ask God this question often! How can He even look at me, sin-filled as I am, and still love me? How can He hold a place in heaven for me after all I've done to hurt Him in my life? This is the part of the Christmas story I have returned to time and time again lately.

How could God, Creator of the universe, choose to walk the earth? Not only that, but to grow inside a woman's womb, to experience birth, toddlerhood, childhood, into adulthood. I think He was so confounded by we humans, that He decided He needed to become one of us in order to truly know how it feels to be human!

That is so remarkable! He even experienced human death! How can we doubt His love for us? How can we not express our gratitude by living Christmas every day?

"He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:2-5 NIV).

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Altars and false gods

"Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone” (Genesis35:3 NIV).

What golden altar do you kneel before?
What perfect offering do you lay at the feet of the King?

What false idols have you cast off in shame?
What sins, unconfessed, have been laid bare?

What broken roads have led you here?
What sacred promises do you cling to still?

What penance do you commit to pay?
What resting place will you call home?

"Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you" (Exodus 20:23-25 NIV).

“I will hide my face from them,” he said, “and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful. They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding" (Deuteronomy 32:20-21 NIV).

"This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word" (Isaiah 66:1-2 NIV).

My prayer today is that you and I choose wisely which altar we approach and to whom we give priase.

Blessings on your journey,

Mary

He Has Prepared a Place for You

Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him" (Isaiah 62:11 RSV).

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:10-12 NASB).

The shepherds are the “them” in this passage from Luke. I would want reassurance if I looked up and saw a host of angels, too! They were the first to hear the good news! The shepherds in the field were told before any others! Of course, Jesus was descended from shepherds so it somehow seems fitting. Knowing what we know now about Jesus and his life and message, it’s not surprising his life and mission on earth would begin surrounded by the least and the lowliest.

These shepherds would have been very familiar with the verse from Isaiah, too. In some accounts they left their sheep and ran – ran – to find the baby in the manger. Shepherds never left their sheep unguarded—never. But then there were the angels . . . and of course the thousands of years of waiting for the Savior promised them in Isaiah . . .

What is the message for us today? The baby has been born. He’s already lived and died and risen into heaven. So what is the message for us today? The message is exactly the same! Behold! We still have the good news, but ours is even better than what the shepherds heard that night 2000 years ago!

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am" (John 14:1-3 NIV).

Behold, Christ has prepared a place for us! That is the real reason we celebrate Christmas—not only to remember the birth of God made man, but to recall the promise of the man/God on the Cross. “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Sort of sounds like, “Do not be afraid.” Do not let your hearts be troubled. The risen Christ waits in heaven for you. He has a special place for you, right next to Him.

Nothing on this earth can change that truth. Do not let your heart be troubled.

My prayer today is that you rest in the assurance that Christ has prepared a place for you in heaven. And that you will not allow your heart to be troubled while you wait for Christ’s coming.

Blessings on your journey,

Mary

Quench your thirst at the oasis

It has been my experience that one doesn't wake up in the middle of the desert, parched and blinded by viewing miles and miles of nothing but sand. No, it's a gradual journey. We take one step off the cool grassy path. Then another. And another. We look around, pause to catch our breath and realize we are bone dry, sand in our ears and eyes, throat raw from lack of water.

The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow" (Isaiah 35:6-8 NIV).

"For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants" (Isaiah 44:2-4).

"but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-15).

"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life" (Revelation 22:16-18 NIV).

Throughout my life, I've run smack into the desert many times - deep into it; so far in, I've looked around, frantic, unable to see a way out. I've spent many a sandy day and countless sandy night roaming in the desert--feeling desperate and hopeless. These days, though, I try to keep my eye on the oasis--just ahead. It's not going anywhere -- just waiting for me to take that next step . . . one step . . . then another.

More often than I care to admit, I am dragging myself there . . . clutching handfuls of sand toward the water that will quench me--that always quenches me--the only water that can quench me.

I don't like being in a spiritual desert, but I understand now that God does His finest work there. The sand abrades all the my rough, imperfect propensities. It polishes and shines, erodes and reshapes me to the form and vision God has for me. I'm learning not to panic in the desert, but rather to continually ask Jesus for the living water only He can offer.

I thank God for that water--it is life-sustaining. It is the only water that satisfies. Jesus offers it at the oasis. Jesus IS the oasis. He's had some desert time of His own and that is how I know He understands my thirst. It was in the desert that God's vision for His life became clear. It was in the desert that He came to fully grasp the breadth of His strength and the depth of His fortitude.

After crossing the desert, the water tastes especially cool and sweet. Join me as I quench my thirst at the oasis--Jesus Christ.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

"I AM" is all we need

"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exodus 3:13,14 KJV).

"I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things" (Isaiah 45:5-7 NIV).

I AM

The chorus to a song I heard the other day states, “Everybody’s worshiping something. I choose You.” The song relates how many idols there are in our lives and how we put them too often before we put God.

Moses was well-respected in his own “sphere of influence.” His concern, though, was that those who did not know him would probably not follow him on his word alone. He knew he would need some higher authority to give his words power and credibility. A God bigger and more powerful than all the other gods. God knew that too. The burning bush for Moses was the first time since Eden’s fall that God sought out an intimate and personal relationship with man.

Moses wasn’t exactly thrilled with that dubious honor, though. And I don’t blame him! Who? I AM. The I AM? Yes, THE I AM. Oh. Okay. Well I think you must have made a small error. You see, God, I stutter. And I’m getting on in years. And I’ve made a life for myself here. It’s a pretty good life, too and I don’t think my wife and her family will be very happy with me when I tell them all this. I’m not sure even they’ll believe me, let alone the Israelites!

God was patient with Moses. And with the Israelites. He guided Moses every step of the way – providing him exactly what he needed to become the leader he grew into. And through Moses, He made the same provisions for the Israelites. And He provides for us too. Don’t you think the God who formed the light and created darkness can handle our little lives without much trouble? Well . . . sure. But . . . Well . . . OK. He does handle it, just not the way I think it should go sometimes. And God responds that is because we are not in charge!

I struggle so often with trying to take control of my life and my world. And, thankfully, God remains patient with me. Even after all these centuries He remains patient with us. He assures us, “I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me”. I don’t know about you, but I need a God who is in charge—even when I pretend He’s not. And I am so grateful He lets me think it’s all my idea to give Him back control.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Surrendering Our Plans To God

"And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely" (Hosea 2:8 KJV).

"The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent's food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain," says the LORD" (Isaiah 65:25 NASB)

These words from the Old Testament seem almost amusing to us in this day and age. First of all, we live in a time of conflict and, if you watch the evening news they’ll tell you we’re on the verge of World War III. We may be tempted to think that well, maybe the animals can all learn to get along, but not man!

I find it interesting that this same imagery is used by different prophets. Of course, Christ is the one who allows all this to even become a remote possibility. His life and death changed the paradigm of human history forever.

Through these two prophets, God wanted to convey to us that anything is possible through Him. Not only can God change a current reality into something unimaginable in the future, we can change our own reality through faith in Him.

That requires a great deal from us, doesn’t it? Especially since our accomplishing anything in this life requires surrendering the outcome to God. Honestly, I resist that surrender, even though God sent Christ – and turned his death into a victorious resurrection!

That’s where I hesitate. No, that’s where I flounder! I’m a real control freak! I don’t know why, because I fully admit my plans are smaller and narrower and “less” than they could be if I allowed room for God in the planning process. But I know that whatever plans I have, God will allow them to be so much more fruitful if I give Him control of the outcome.

I know that the whole world can seem to be tumbling toward destruction and devastation. I know my dreams and hopes seem really big and unattainable. I know I’m just one small, solitary person. I know, too, though that because of Christ the history of the world was changed. Because of Christ, my own future and destiny were re-written as well. And so was yours.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Lay Down Your Burdens

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:28-31 NRSV).

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand" (Psalm 37:23-24 NRSV).

Whatever burdens you have been bearing this week; whatever you are suffering; whatever is troubling you . . . lay it down. Right now as you read this. Just lay it at the foot of the Cross. Take a deep, cleansing breath. Go ahead, we’ll wait for you. God will take away everything that burdens you and fill up that space with His comfort, love, peace and hope. I promise you! No, HE promises you! Remember Him? He's the great ‘I AM.’

People disappoint us, harm us, lie to us, hate us, leave us. God never does. His love overcomes every disappointment. His healing soothes every hurt. His Truth is eternal. He will never leave us or forsake us.

As I’ve listened to the news this week, and heard about some of the experiences of friends and acquaintances, I find tremendous comfort in theses verses. And I rejoice that I am able to lift these words to God on their behalf. The world needs our prayers. God hears them and answers them. He promises us that. And God never lies.

My prayer today is that you will lay down your burdens at the foot of the Cross. And allow that space to be filled with the hope, peace and understanding only available through God.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Two cents' worth

I'm a member of a Christian writing group and this past Sunday afternoon we kicked off our new year with bang! Some time ago I met an amazing young man at a book festival where we both had displays. His story is so incredible I immediately contacted our co-director and suggested she invite him to be a speaker for our group.

You can read about Frederic Almond, Sr. and click on the link to his website at Richmond Christians Who Write or HERE.

His message was quite inspirational and one comment he made in particular really hit close to home. It is so simple theologically and yet so profound:

"God takes us through a process not because of what we know but because of what HE knows. If we knew what the purpose was, we would try to put our two cents' worth in and mess it up."

I have no doubt God used Frederic on Sunday to speak to each of us in the room -- as Christians and as writers. His words certainly were like straight arrows shooting into my life!

Frederic's words were so profound that I am still praying on them this morning. I have asked God to give me patience through the process, endurance for the journey, obedience to guide my steps and especially gratitude for going to the trouble of working in and through me and my life.

"In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling" (Exodus 15:13 NIV).

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them" (Isaiah 42:16 NIV).

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

WORD-FILLED WEDNESDAY

Lori at All You Have To Give is hosting Word-filled Wednesday this week. If You’d like to join us for Word Filled Wednesday, simply add your name to McLinky at her blog and post a photo and a BIBLE verse.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

Thanks for Listening, God!

"He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them" (Psalm 145:19 NIV).

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14 NIV).

I think it was past time to post something a bit less "whiny" here! Last week was one of those weeks for me! You know . . . I took on the weight of the world and didn't let go! I clung tightly to the illusion I fall into believing sometimes: that I'm in "this" by myself! I don't know why I do it, but I do. I am ever grateful -- beyond expression -- that God allows me to vent, whine, etc., and then welcomes me back into His loving arms when I'm 'over myself.'

The previous post may have been a little more honesty than you wanted me to share! I apologize if that is the case. However, it is a side of me that springs up sometimes and I really do believe that God wants us to be completely authentic--in our wisdom and strength as well as in our struggles and challenges. I've known people who never wanted to talk about what was good and right in their lives--but I've also met some who would never open up enough to share what wasn't going so well too.

Anyway, I think I'm over my little tantrum. I finished typing my God's Wonder Woman column that will be posted at Take Root and Write on Wednesday, July 1. That helped me get back on track. The theme this time is about rearranging our "to do" list! Pretty appropriate and timely for me. I hope it will be for others as well.

I would say I am ashamed of myself for being negative, but I guess I'm really not. Everything in my life is not perfect. God knows that. But I don't like to complain about my own circumstances. I am blessed beyond anything I ever dreamed. I am humbled and grateful by the ways God is opening up my life to Him and to His world.

I think the "woes of this world" felt especially burdensome to me lately because the vision God has given me for my life is HUGE!! And I get tired--a lot! I forgot to trust in God's wisdom. I wasn't willing to lean on His strength. I couldn't make myself rest in His power. I spent much of last night giving it all to God and this morning I'm committed to allowing Him to make the way He sees for my future--and my present.

How about you? Are you feeling burdened lately? So much is going on in the world and it's easy to internalize it all. If I don't catch myself right away, I can spiral into the mix of it all and lose my footing. That's when I find I need to go to scripture. The words there are timeless and divinely-inspired. God's word is what we need to drown out the noise of what's going on in the world.

"I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King." This is what the LORD says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:" (Isaiah 43:15-17 NIV)

"This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen" (Isaiah 44:2 NIV).

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46:4 NIV)

I pray you hear God's word above all else and that you trust Him, lean on Him and rest in Him as you go through your day today.

WORD-FILLED WEDNESDAY

This is the latest installment of Word Filled Wednesday. Stop by e-Lisa's blog this morning to learn the history of "Word Filled Wednesday" and for more words and images about our amazing God.

Blessings on this beautiful day!

WORD-FILLED WEDNESDAY

Behold, I will create new heavens and a
new earth. The former things will not
be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

(Isaiah 65:17)


Stop by the 160 Acre Woods for more Wordfilled Wednesday

MONDAY MANNA

I've decided to join An Open Book and {dancing} in the margins in their Monday Manna meme.

Twice a month participants meet together to contemplate, ruminate, and share on a specific scripture. It can be brief thoughts, a picture, a poem, a short story, a devotional--whatever. The idea is to chew on the same scripture and learn from each other.

This Monday's scripture focus is Isaiah 6:8: the calling of the prophet Isaiah.

At the sound of their voices [the seraphs] the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty. Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." 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 6:5-8 NIV)

What would it take for God to get your attention? How do you hear God? How obedient are you when you hear God's call upon your life?

Sometimes I do hear His "still small voice" but often it takes nothing less than doorposts and thresholds shaking to get my full attention. The accuracy with which I hear and the readiness to respond in obedience, "Here am I," depends in large part upon what God is calling me to do! I'm ashamed to say it, but it is true. If the call is to do something I enjoy, something that won't be too "inconvenient" then I jump right to it! If what I perceive He wants me to do will be challenging, out of my comfort zone, or "inconvenient" I may not be as ready to respond right away.

Also, my obedience, however well-intentioned is misguided or misplaced sometimes. That happens because I sometimes rush ahead, believing God has revealed the full picture to me--or at least that I see the full picture clearly. I'm not one of those who automatically sits and waits and meditates upon God's messages unless I am very intentional about it. I am learning to be more patient, but it is an on-going challenge for me.

How have I learned to wait, reflect, pray and then wait a little more? By NOT doing so in the past! If the old saying, "we learn from our mistakes" is true, then I should be quite wise by now!

That is the glory and wonder of our God! He understands our human limitations and failings. He knows the good intentions of our hearts don't always translate into appropriate action. Fortunately, God can use even our mistakes and missteps to accomplish His will in the world. When we declare to Him, as did Isaiah, that we have unclean lips (and lives!), we have fuflilled the first requirement for worthiness to be used by God.

How do we know we are acting and living in obedience? We know through the in-dwelling of the Spirit. When we live in obedience, God's desire flows out of us and into His world. For example: I have the spiritual gift of encouragement. God has been using that gift mightily in the last few months. I am associated with many Christian writers and God has presented me with countless opportunities to encourage and uplift them in their walk.

The tricky thing about call is that we may not be called to the same role, task, etc., in every circumstance! While I am certainly called to encourage fellow Christian writers (and Christians in general!), I am sometimes called to rely upon my spiritual gift of 'forthtelling' to give a message that may not be so encouraging or uplifting.

That is where the test comes: in the call to do those things that may cause pain or suffering to another. I can speak the truth in love and still inflict pain. That's why I resist it sometimes, because I have such a heart for others, that I hurt for them when they suffer. Hmmm. This may be an area I need to take to God. It seems as if I need to be sure my heart is pure and that my hesitation is truly because of the potential distress to another, versus my discomfiture.

Wow! God reveals Himself to us in the most surprising and amazing ways! I have never carried this train of thought to this point before. Clearly, God wanted me to join the meme:-)

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!"