Isaiah 6:8 ESV  … Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

When young Samuel heard the voice of God, he mistook it for Eli’s voice and ran to Eli crying, “Here I am!” He did this three times before Eli recognized that it was the Lord’s voice Samuel was hearing and told him to respond to the voice in this way: “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.” The message that God gives to Samuel was certainly a burden for a young boy to bear, but Samuel responded to the Lord, and “grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.”

“Here I am!” “Present and ready for duty, Sir!” This is a wonderful response to the call of God. It is the way servants whom God has used always respond. God will not force us into his service. He will not twist the arm or pull by the hair. He wants willing servants, who go because he called.

Now, we need to realize that this response is just like the response of any groom or bride. When they answer the question of commitment with “I do” or “I will”, they really don’t have a clue about what that answer will involve or how it will challenge and change their lives. So, when we answer, “Here I am! Send me,” we also have no clue about how our answer will challenge and change us. I believe that we are usually, as Isaiah was here, sincere in our response and desire to serve. But we are clueless as to what that will involve. Of course, if we knew everything that our “Yes” would involve, we might be reluctant to respond at all. But respond we have and keep our word we must.

God does give Isaiah an indication of the kind of ministry he would have. Tell them, God says:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’  (10)  Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Isaiah 6:9-10 ESV 

In essence, God is saying to Isaiah that he is to speak for God but the people will not listen to him. Isaiah is going to have a challenging ministry and one with little visible results. It will be, at times, discouraging and disheartening. I can hear a voice saying, “Are you doing this for ME or for yourself.” I’m doing this for you, God. “Are you wanting recognition, praise, acclaim, or do you want to hear ‘Well done’?” I want to hear “Well done.” “Are you concerned about me and my word or are you concerned about your reputation?” I’m concerned about you and your word, God! “Then, go and do the task I have assigned to you and I will be with you!”

Are you ready to say, “Here I am! Send me”? Have you said it and now are struggling with its application to your life and circumstances? God’s call comes with his enabling grace.