Send Me!

“’Whom shall I send and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I, send me.’” - Isaiah 6:8

The call of God on a person’s life is often misunderstood. Not all encounters with God transpire inside the belly of a fish, or from a burning bush or a visit from angels. Don’t misunderstand me - there absolutely are examples in Scripture of God singling out a specific person for a specific task and calling them to His work in a unique way. Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Mary and Joseph, John the Baptist, and Paul are just a few examples of these unique God-callings. But when we look at the whole of Scripture, we see the truth “many are invited but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14)” unfold in a much more “normal” way.

Let’s be honest…most of us are not the Noahs or the Moseses of our time. We are everyday people living ordinary lives. But this does not mean that we are less important in God’s Kingdom. It does not mean that God doesn’t want to accomplish great things through our lives. In Isaiah 6:8 God asks the question, “Whom shall I send?” It is interesting that He doesn’t directly address Isaiah, but rather gives Isaiah an opportunity to step up and volunteer to go. Because Isaiah has encountered God’s glory and been cleansed from his sinfulness (Isaiah 6:1-7) he answers God’s call, “Here am I, send me!”

The call of God is not for a special few – it is for everyone. The question is, are we in a position to hear God’s call? “Many are called but few are chosen…” The chosen are those who have entered into a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Once this happens everything changes and our ears and hearts are opened so that we constantly hear His still, small voice asking, “Who will go for us?”

This call is not God singling out one person with a command to “go.” Rather, it is being in the presence of God and overhearing the call as Isaiah did. Having beheld the great glory of God Isaiah realized there was nothing else he’d rather say than, “Here am I!” We must stop waiting for God to appear in a vision or send Gabriel to our doorsteps. When Jesus called His disciples there was no great production…just a simple, “Follow Me.” Some men followed and some did not (the rich young ruler did not answer “yes” and he went away sad – Matthew 19:22).

When we allow the Spirit of God to bring us into God’s presence, we will hear what Isaiah heard. God’s voice is ever-calling…”Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Come, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” And in perfect joy and freedom we will answer, “Here am I, send me.”

Father, Thank You for calling me into Your presence through Christ. Thank You for inviting me to join in Your work. Please help me to keep my ears attune to Your voice so that I won’t miss the opportunity to answer, “Here am I, send me!”

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.