The Privilege of a Commission

"The privilege of a commission..."-My favorite phrase by ever by our retiring territorial commander.

A commission as a Salvation Army officer is priceless. There is no way to even fathom putting into words how absolutely incredible it is to be doing exactly what God has intended for you to do.

Yes, there's ups and downs.

Yes, there's bad days.

Yes, there's heartbreaks.

But...

There's blessing beyond belief.

You are part of something so much bigger than yourself that has the ability to impact individuals, families, communities, countries, and the whole world.

No day is the same as the last--life sure is interesting!

When my husband and a visitor to our worship this morning were discussing my sermon (Commandment #1 lived out through Deuteronomy 6:4-5--we're starting a sermon series on the 10 Commandments, spending some time in the Old Testament), and a hymn we sang, "Holy, Holy, Holy," they made the connection to Isaiah's commission. (Ding! Ding! Payoff for intentional worship planning!)

Isaiah chapter 6 says, "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices 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!" (vv. 1-8)

As we watched the webcast of the service of appointments of the newest commissioned and ordained lieutenants this afternoon, I was again reminded of this very important conversation.

When God asks, "Whom shall I send?"

My response is, "Here am I,send me!"

May I never have a time when that response does not freely flow from my lips!