Here I Am
Here I Am
By Pastor Barry Kerner
Having come from suburban Pittsburgh to rural Central New York, we were struck by many of the differences. It seemed that here everybody knew everybody, once in a while livestock could be seen in neighbors yards and our village’s streets and there were cornfields everywhere. Soon after moving we were invited to an outdoor picnic. Acres of cornfields surrounded our new friend’s large yard. Our oldest son was only about six then. Every so often we would glance up from our chairs on the front porch to keep an eye on him as he played with the other children. As dusk approached, I must have been deeply engaged in the conversation because when I glance up again he and several of his new friends were gone. Calling out, we asked the other children still in the yard where they had gone. We were told that they were playing hide and seek in the cornfield.
Our uneasiness grew as the sun sunk lower and there was no sight of our son or the other children. After a bit longer I walked to the edge of the cornfield and called out, “Nicholai, where are you?” I was soon joined by a few other parents calling out to their children. With the light fading we made our way into the cornfield repeatedly calling out our childrens’ names and, “Where are you?” It wasn’t until the light was almost gone that we heard,”Here I am” from Nicholai and the others. We continued to call out and made our way to them in the middle of the cornfield by following the “Here I am”s from the kids. It was pitch black by the time we all made our way back to our friend’s front yard.
Full of apprehension, it had been comforting when I first heard Nicholai respond, “Here I am.” The repeated, “Here I am”s were music to my and the other parents’ ears and lightened our heavy hearts.
In Acts chapter 9, Saul, the lead Pharisee who had been actively seeking out and persecuting Jesus’ followers in Israel and the surrounding region is in Damascus. But, Paul is blind from his encounter with Christ on the road leading to Damascus. In Acts 9:10 we are told that, “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,“Ananias!” Ananias responded “Here I am, Lord.” God sent Ananias to minister to Saul, to help restore his sight and so begin the mission to which God had called Paul.
“Here I am, Lord,” tells the Lord that we’re available to do what he says. Often though, we hear the call but don’t respond. Sometimes He tells us to simply stop and help a stranded motorist, visit an old friend or pray for someone. We want to think we’re saying “Here I am, Lord,” but so often we do not. At times we may question the ideas God gives us and come up with a myriad of excuses as to why we’re not readily available. At other times we may have tuned God out completely and are focused instead on what the world has to say.
Including Ananias, the Bible tells us of six people who answered God’s call by saying, “Here I am.”
- Abraham said it when sacrificing his son Isaac in the wilderness Genesis 22.
- Jacob said it twice. In Genesis 31:11 when the angel of the Lord told him to leave Laban and in Genesis 46:2 when God told him that it was alright to go to Egypt.
- Moses said it in Exodus 3:4 when God called to him from the burning bush.
- Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:4-8 answered when God commissioned Samuel as a prophet.
- Isaiah says “Here am I” in Isaiah 6:8 when God asked, “Who shall we send.”.
- Ananias, called to minister to Saul, says it in Acts 9:10.
There is another instance where David, in 2 Samuel 15:26 says he will submit to God’s will and will tell the Lord “Here I am” if the Lord intends to kill him as he is running from Absalom.
The list consists of people who made themselves available to God and submitted themselves to His purpose for them. God then used each of them to minister to others. Notice Adam isn’t on this list. After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, God called to Adam with the question, “Where are you?” God knew where Adam was. But, God was giving Adam a chance to step up. But having just sinned, Adam said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
God has a purpose and we have a choice. Psalm 37:23 tells us that, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16), God establishes our steps every day. What a blessing that is for those who choose to follow. God has a purpose but we have a choice.
Tune out the world and focus on what God is saying to you. Is God asking you to do something? Will you answer “Here I am, Lord?” or will you hem and haw trying to avoid taking the call. Today as you enter your workplace or any other place the Spirit leads you, know that God is actively calling for people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). We worship God by doing what He says. God has a purpose and we have a choice. We can say “Here I am, Lord” as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Isaiah and Ananias did and God will use us to minister to others. Or we can repeat Adam’s reaction and run from God.
Here I am is a two-way street. A “draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8) type of thing. When we step up and step out in faith, it’s as if the Divine steps up, too. Our faith and our relationship with Him are strengthened. God is calling to each one of us — not in the same way, not to the same thing — but He is calling. When you hear or are reminded He is calling, will you — can you — say “Here I am?”
The harvest is ready and the laborers are few. God is calling each of us today to some task big or small to be done in His holy name. Answering His call, we will know the joy of walking and working hand in hand with God.