Here I am Lord Send Me!

The creator of the universe has carefully crafted you. There is no one else like you. He gave you your personality, special gifts, and talents for a unique purpose in your life. Wouldn’t it be great if you received a phone call or text with the exact calling He has chosen for you? Unfortunately, that’s not how He works. But He will “call”- He calls everyone into service for Him. Will your response be, “Here I am Lord, send me!”?

Let’s get some inspiration from Bible characters who responded positively to God’s calling.

Here I Am in the Bible

• “Some time later, God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ ‘Here I am’, he replied.” Genesis 22:1.

God instructed Abraham to take his beloved only son up the mountain and sacrifice him.

What was Abraham’s response to God’s call? He did exactly what God asked of him, trusting God would bring Isaac back to life if needed.

How does your trust in God measure up to Abraham’s? I can honestly say mine would fall short in this particular situation.

Trusting in God’s plan, however, is a cornerstone of answering His call in our lives.

Moses Said Here I Am

• “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look [at the burning bush], God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’ And Moses said, ‘Here I am.’” Exodus 3:4.

It’s interesting to note that God waited to catch Moses’ attention before calling to him… 😊

Have you ever read a Bible verse or heard something that catches your attention? Is God trying to get your attention? It’s a good time to stop, respond ‘Here I am!’, and listen to Him.

I can also relate to Moses’ response to God’s instructions- excuse after excuse. He felt inadequate, lacking in wisdom and public speaking skills, and eventually flat out told God to send someone else!

Have you ever given God excuses like Moses?

Remember, He would never call us without giving us the resources we need!

It all came down to Moses not trusting God to help him and his reluctance to obey God.

Here I Am in Hebrew

I’m a bit of a word geek and when I research a post, I like to look up the Greek and Hebrew meanings of words. It can sometimes bring new insight. I found some fascinating aspects to this phrase.

“Here I Am” translates as “hineni” in Hebrew. It’s actually a phrase combining two short words- “here” (hineh) and “I” (ani) to make the word hineni.

Hineni Meaning

It was also used as “behold”, a more descriptive word than “here.” Either way, “hineni” is a way of expressing your intent and readiness to give all of yourself- total availability.

Now here’s the amazing part:

God uses this same phrase with the same purpose as a declaration of His promise to come and care for us!

Here’s just one example from the book of Isaiah 58:9, where “hineni” comes as a promise of blessing:

“Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.”

He promises to always be available and ready to provide for our needs. When God says “hineni” to us, He is saying I know you fully, I see you, and I hear your cry. I’m right here, devoted, and ready to care for you.

Like a child calling to their parent, God is ready to answer us when we call to Him with His own answer of “hineni”: “Here am I!”

Isaiah 6:8

This next example comes from the book of Isaiah where God calls Isaiah and commissions him for a ministry to His people.

Whom Shall I Send?

• “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here I am! Send me!’” Isaiah 6:8.

The world remains full of people who need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. God’s plan to accomplish it includes each one of us.

Isn’t it interesting that God asks this question? God wants willing people that trust in Him, to do His work.

God desires and asks for willing volunteers to help Him. He won’t force us.

Here I Am Send Me Meaning

Isaiah didn’t hesitate; He wanted to answer God’s call. God’s people were struggling and he wanted to be part of the solution. He enthusiastically committed to be sent by God even though he didn’t know the mission.

He was telling God he was available for whatever He needed and trusted Him completely.

God sent Isaiah to preach a message of judgement that would fall upon deaf ears. But Isaiah kept his focus on being obedient to God and giving Him the glory rather than fully understanding His ways.

Send Me Lord

When we say, ‘Here I am Lord, send me’, we might not be ecstatic about our calling or where He is sending us, but when we truly know and trust Him and commit to serve Him in obedience, our feelings don’t come into play.

Full disclosure: I tried praying “Here I am Lord, send me.” Oddly, I got stuck on the “send me” part. I immediately went to God and realized it was fear that stopped me. (Hello Satan, you’re not welcome here. Be gone!)

I do want to be available, but I also like my “status quo.” Does “send me” mean He’s moving me out of my home to a place I don’t know?

He may, but He may not. “Send me” in Hebrew also means “to stretch”, “set free”, or “to shoot forth branches.”

God doesn’t call everyone to go far from home. But He wants all of us to trust Him and surrender to His will enough to say “stretch my faith, O God, to move into places I normally wouldn’t go. Set me free from my hesitancy and fear of following where you lead. Help me shoot forth branches into places that need the fruit of your Word and love.”

Jesus called many of the disciples (Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew) with two simple words: “Follow Me” and nothing more. I’m sure they wouldn’t have wanted to know what was ahead for them when they answered His call.

They accepted His calling because they believed He was the promised Messiah. They trusted in His sovereign and Holy nature and the words of Scripture, even though they did not fully understand His mission.

Who Will Go For Us?

God was asking for someone to step up when he asked this question. He needs willing people to “go.”

How can we know what His plans are for us? What is God calling us to do?

God’s calling on your life is much more than your job or career. They are an important part of your life and can glorify God, but may change over your lifetime.

Your calling is constant because it is what God planned when He created you and gifted you with talents. You can use your calling no matter what occupation you choose!

God Has Called Us for His Purpose

Romans 8:28-29:

“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…”

God’s purpose is for us to be like Christ. It is our ultimate destiny!

Our jobs pay the bills, but as Christians, we also want to live out God’s will for our lives. We attempt to be obedient to His commands each day, growing our faith through the study of His Word, prayer, and making our choices with care.

How are we conformed to the image of Christ?

God molds us through circumstances (good and bad), sends the Holy Spirit to guide and counsel us, gave us His Scriptures to study and puts people in our lives to teach us and learn from.

What is God Calling Me to Do?

Paul sums it up so well in his letter to the church in Colossae:

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:9-12.

That’s kind of a long run-on sentence, right? Let’s break it down:

 #1- Understand God’s Will– We need to know His will by gaining spiritual understanding. The Holy Spirit will work in our hearts and minds if we commit to reading and studying His Word.

#2- Live a life worthy of the Lord by pleasing Him with your thoughts and actions and becoming strong in our faith through His power! (We are not in this race alone!) His knowledge gives our lives direction and is our compass for right living. This leads to:

#3- Bearing good fruit– Having great endurance, patience, the joy of Christ in us, and an attitude of gratitude for all He has done and will do in our lives.

Responding to the Call of God

God wants us to be persistent in all the above. Seeking His guidance leads to spiritual growth and a stronger relationship with Him. That gives us the ability to recognize His leading and call.

Jesus distills everything down into two actionable steps:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37,39.

This love produces the fruit He is looking for. Loving others involves keeping our eyes open to see needs that are right in front of us. It is listening for His promptings to “go” where He sends.

Answering God’s Call

Jesus wants us to think like He does and act as He would. That is our purpose! So-

Does a lonely or sad person need someone to come alongside them? Comfort them.

Do the hungry need food? Provide it.

Does an elderly friend or neighbor need physical help or companionship? Call, visit, or assist them.

Loving others also means using the unique gifts and talents He gave us to carry out the Great Commission.

Romans 12:6-8 tells us He gave us each different gifts, such as prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy.

No matter what our gift, we are to use it generously, diligently, and cheerfully.

I Am Here Lord, Send Me!

Are you ready to reflect God to others as He calls you to your purpose?

Will He see Himself in you?

Will you pray to be sent, stretched, set free to go where He leads, and produce fruit for Him?

God still asks today, “Who shall I send? Who will go for us?” He’s always looking for those who will surrender themselves to Him fully, trusting Him in faith to lead them in His purpose.

He gives us the opportunity to choose our answer. We can say no. But we will miss out on seeing His power in action and exponential spiritual growth, but again, it is our choice.

Don’t put limitations on His plan for you. He uses the broken and the weak as well as the strong and confident.
Even if He calls you to something that isn’t your passion or talent (or a place you do not want to go!), He WILL equip you with everything you need to carry out His plans.

He wants to use YOU.

This happened to me- called to my worst nightmare (public speaking) and I “went”- kicking and screaming the whole way (I do not advise this response 😊) But I learned enormous lessons in His faithfulness, watched Him orchestrate the impossible, and worked through my terror to trust and obey.

I didn’t know it at the time, but they were building blocks to strengthen my faith!

Can you, right now, say, “I’m here Lord! Use me! Send me!”? Can you begin your days with that prayer?

Remember His “hineni” promise that when we call to Him for help, He says, “Here am I.”

He needs our help, and it’s time for us to put our faith in action for His glory and honor.

Go with God’s blessings!

AnnMarie

All Scripture is taken from the NIV unless specified otherwise.

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