And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 ESV
How many remember the story of Jonah in the Bible? God told Jonah to preach to Nineveh, instead of obeying he flees by ship in the opposite direction. His disobedience puts everyone on the ship in peril. To save the ship, he asks them to toss him over the side. God saves him by the great fish. After three uncomfortable days in the belly of the fish, time spent in prayer, he is regurgitated on dry land. God repeats the direction a second time. This time Jonah obeys. The people of Nineveh respond to Jonah's message turning from evil, and the city is saved from destruction.
In contrast, we have the verse today that shows an eagerness to answer God's request. This is the same enthusiasm we witness in a group of small children when you ask for a volunteer they raise their hands crying out, "me, me, me". Somewhere along the way, we become less like those young children and more like Jonah. When God makes a request we may be more prone to make excuses rather than replying with acceptance if not enthusiasm. What we soon discover though, is that in obeying God, he is giving us a blessing. He may often ask us to step outside of our comfort zone and we may feel ill-equipped. However, if we respond, “Here I am! Send me", he will ensure our success.
God, we thank you for the opportunities you provide us. In our obedience to you, help us to become more like Isaiah and less like Jonah. We thank you for the blessings that are about to come in responding to your voice. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
