Here I Am

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.

Genesis 22:1 NIV

But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.

Genesis 22:11 NIV

This reminds me of an old friend old mine. Whenever we were listening to a message about being willing to go and serve the Lord he would lean over to me and say, "Here I am, Lord, send him." Seriously though, we both were trying to serve God.

Abraham's reply to God was simple. "Here I am." Abraham was willing to obey even when it seemed to go against what he understood to be God's plan. He was also willing to obey when God in the middle of an act of obedience. There's a lot we could meditate on in this passage. I just want to focus on Abraham's attitude expressed in, "Here I am." 

Abraham was God's servant and God's friend. As God's servant he simply was ready and willing, "Here I am." As God's friend he was ready to believe and obey, "Here I am." Christ said, "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (John 15:14). So, today as we seek the Lord we do so with a heart that simply says, "Here I am." 

Are You a Jacob? God is Your Fortress.

The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.    Selah
Psalm 46:7,11

God is with us...whatever else is going on around us, God, the Lord Almighty is with us. Every now and then when we are out doing something my son will just sort of come up next to me for a moment and then go off and do his thing. It's like he just has to see if I am there, and then he's good to go. 

We're the same way, aren't we? Throughout the day we just need to take a moment to remember that the Lord Almighty is with us. 

I am encouraged that the psalmist says, "the God of Jacob". The God of Jacob, to me, signifies that God works with those of us who seem to find trouble all by ourselves. Jacob's name means "he grasps the heel" or figuratively, "to deceive". A pastor of mine once paraphrased the meaning as "lying, sneaking, thief". Jacob seemed to struggle through everything. But, God was with him. God used him and God fulfilled his promises to Jacob and through him. 

Maybe you are like me and you identify with Jacob. Jacob's God is our God too. He is our fortress. That is good to know.

Thank you, Lord Almighty!