Woe is me

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 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 6.5-8

I’ve been thinking about this passage, and though I talked about it a few days ago I had to go back and mention it again. I skipped right over and important aspect of theses words – ‘woe is me.’

Isaiah’s response is the only response we can have to the holiness of God – He was literally awestruck. In the presence of a thrice holy God Isaiah is fully confronted with his sin.

I am afraid that sometimes I don’t take my sin that seriously. I can make a light thing of it even when I am acting spiritual. It is way to easy to take sin way too lightly.

When I see my sin, my sin in particular, my only response should be that of Isaiah. When I am confronted with my sin I should fall on my face before God and say ‘woe is me.’

When I see my sin that way I see the joy that Christ brings. Woe is me as a Christian because when I see I am making light of what Jesus did for me on the cross. My sin ought to break my heart whenever I sin. It ought to put me on my face before my holy, holy, holy God.

This is one of the reasons I am thankful for a weekly opportunity to go to the Lord’s Table and examine my own heart. It doesnt give me a chance to get complacent in my sin.

Lord, give me a heart to view my sin the way that Isaiah saw his.