"Here I am" means I'M AVAILABLE
What happens when I say to God, "Here I am":
1. I make a SACRIFICE I never thought I could make.
Abraham
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Genesis 22:1-2(NIV)
2. I face a FEAR I never thought I could face.
Jacob
And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," he replied. "I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again." Genesis 46:2-4(NIV)
3. I see a MIRACLE I never thought I would see.
Moses
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Exodus 3:4(NIV)
The 4 questions:
- Who Am I?
- Who are You?
- What about them?
- How about this?
4. I hear a MESSAGE I never thought I would hear.
Samuel
Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, "Here I am." 1 Samuel 3:4(NIV)
5. I go to a PLACE I never thought I would go.
Isaiah
Then I heard the Lord's voice, saying, "Whom can I send? Who will go for us?" So I said, "Here I am. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8(NCV)
6. I trust a PROMISE I never thought I would trust.
Mary
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Luke 1:35,37-38(NIV)
7. I serve a PERSON I never thought I could serve.
Ananias
There was a follower of Jesus in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision, "Ananias!" Ananias answered, "Here I am, Lord." The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to Straight Street. Find the house of Judas, and ask for a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus." Acts 9:10-11(NCV)
8. I find a JOY I never thought I would find.
Jesus
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me." Revelation 3:20(NCV)
Action Plan: Choose at least two of the examples above and go back and read more of that person's story. Read the stories knowing that they made "Here I Am" choices and made themselves available to God.
Action Plan: Start each morning this week with a "Here I Am" prayer. Surrender your plans to God and make yourself available to him each day.
Doable Discipleship:This week's episode of Doable Discipleship dives into the science behind self-discipline. New episodes release every Tuesday. To listen, click here.
Talk It Over:Have you ever discussed the weekend message in your small group? Talk It Over provides weekly small group discussion questions as a way to bring the weekend message into your small group. To view this week's Talk It Over, click here
