Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying;
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I!  Send me.”

The Nature of God’s Calling – of Isaiah, and Us

In our career and worldly choices, we tend to rely on our awareness of our abilities and preferences, and what we know about the opportunities and potential rewards on offer.
But in this setting, Isaiah was way out of his depth, and unworthy for any task.  For sinful man to see God was a death sentence, but God purged his sin with a purifying live coal to his lips.

In God’s calling, Isaiah was not commanded or asked by God, but simply made aware of God’s need for someone to step forward.  Isaiah volunteered without knowing the task or the rewards, the desire to do God’s will was overwhelming.

Isaiah was the only person present before God when a volunteer was needed.  When God has called, have you felt like you are the only person on the scene?

Isaiah found the rewards being offered were certain defeat and disappointment, the task was awful, but his only question was “How long?”
God knew the ways of Israel, that they would reject his call to repent, but in His infinite compassion for mankind, He still provided every opportunity for Israel to return to Him, and it was Isaiah’s task to proclaim God’s word until the bitter end.

When we become aware of God’s calling, there is only one worthwhile choice for us.  But it is still a choice – we can reject it and turn to our own ways, and miss out on God’s blessing.
But when we are given a vision of how God sees the task, we are given a desire to do it, regardless of how awful it is.
And when we respond to God’s calling, and do His will, we are richly blessed.

You may find God’s calling:

• can initially come as seeing a need that nobody else seems to see;
• an option that you rejected keeps returning with greater urgency;
• when brought through other people, they tend to be quiet and God-fearing, and their brief message is unexpected, but hits home.

And that:

• Opportunities that are not in His will, and are part of mere human programs, tend to be given with some fanfare and are justified in worldly terms. Take care, it may not turn out well.

Does God need us?  Is the outcome already determined?
Verses 9-10 are ambiguous.
“Lest they see with their eyes” can be taken as a lament for Israel, as “if only they might see …”, expressing God’s desire for them to repent.  Or as a deliberate action to stop them seeing? How do you read it?