Here I Am

Here I am.

God called to Abraham and his simple reply was, “Here I am”. And then this is what He asks of him:

God proceeded to ask Abraham to take his one and only son, the son whom God had promised to Abraham, the one that Abraham and Sarah had in their old age, the son that would carry on the fulfillment of the covenant God gave to them, to sacrifice him. Let me put that more simply. To kill him. And you know what Abraham did? The next morning (imagine sleeping on that request from God), he got up and did as he was told. It’s not like he did it that morning, but on the 3rd day, he saw the place where he was going to sacrifice his son. When he told his servants to stay back, he told them he was going to worship and then come back to them.

WORSHIP? When he was asked to kill his one and only promised son?

I can’t even imagine. Isaac started wondering what in the world was going on, so he asked his dad. You know what Abraham’s reply was? “God himself will provide the lamb.” It’s not like God provided before Abraham had to begin the process of the sacrifice. No, he had to arrange the wood, bound his only son (I wonder if Isaac fought him?), and laid him on top of the wood. He had his hand on the knife, willing and ready to slay his only son.

BUT THEN. An angel called out to him, “Abraham!” And again, Abraham replied with, “HERE I AM”. And the angel told him, “Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” And there stood a ram that Abraham sacrificed instead. And Abraham called that place, The Lord Will Provide. God reiterated his covenant to Abraham, because of his faithfulness, that he would make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.

Um, I don’t know about you, but do you read that and wonder, how in the world did he do that with so much calm and faithfulness? Maybe it’s just me, but I go into situations in life kicking and screaming. When I was readmitted last weekend to the hospital, I wasn’t a happy camper. I was angry, frustrated, and I cried. There wasn’t much of me that said “Here I am.”

Now I’m not saying we can’t have emotions. God created emotions and if in the right spirit, they drive us toward our Savior who can help us work through them. Even our Savior cried. But I think it can be an “and and both”. We can shed our tears, but also have a heart that is willing to walk through any and all circumstances God allows in our lives, with a “Here I am.”

God calls us to circumstances in life that are beyond our comprehension at times. We can wonder why He chose us for the job. Couldn’t he ask someone else? I can’t help but wonder if Abraham thought the same thing. Even Isaac. But I look back on my own life and there are circumstances God has allowed that I could do nothing about. Not a THING. But to just say, “Here I am”, I’m ready because I know you will provide.

This story of Abraham is Isaac is one of just that. God can call us to unimaginable circumstances, and yet the LORD WILL PROVIDE. Let me be a witness to that – HE ALWAYS DOES. I’ll be honest, not always when I think He should. There have been times when I have cried out to him in pain and frustration, for Him to just take it away. Has he when I asked? Not immediately. Not in my timing. BUT HE ALWAYS DOES.

What are you going through today that has you wondering if the Lord will provide? What circumstance seems unimaginable? Where do you feel left in the dust by God? Let me reassure you that God sees, God hears, God knows. Psalm 56:8 says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”

It couldn’t be more clear. God sees your pain. He wants you to run to him, for His arms are the safest place to Psalm 91:4 says, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

I feel like nuzzling right into those feathers, to the point that I can feel his warmth, his embrace, knowing HE WILL PROVIDE. And you know what? It’ll be perfect. JUST PERFECT. So may we all say with confidence, no matter what He calls us to, “Here I Am”.