Willingness to Go

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said "Here am I. Send me!"--Isaiah 6:8 (NIV)

God speaks to each of us in unique ways. There are times when he shows us quite clearly what he wants us to do. He sets our feet moving along a clearly delineated path, and guides us along. Other times we may not be able to see very far ahead and we have to trust implicitly that the Holy Spirit will go before and behind us, watching over our every move. What matters most is not how well we understand God when he calls us, but that we willingly answer his call.

When God called Isaiah to prophesy to the nations, Isaiah responded without a moment of hesitation. His enthusiastic reply of "Send me!" should be echoed by each of us when God's voice resonates in our own ears.

God appeared before him in glory and splendor, with a choir of angels and simply asks "Whom shall we send?" I find it interesting that Isaiah unequivocally answers God's call without being given so much as a description of his mission. He doesn't even glance around to see if anyone else volunteers for the job. He knew that God was speaking directly to him, and he knew he had to answer obediently and faithfully.

Isaiah's attitude was one of willingness. God desires the same from us. Whether we know what God wants us to do or not, we must voice our availability to him. With hearts that are open to God's prompting, we are essentially saying "send me!" When God calls our name, points us in a new direction or illuminates a new path for us, we must bound to our feet and cry "Here am I! No matter what steps we must follow next, God will be there every step of the way as we commit ourselves to serving him.