Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” [Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)]
But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. [Jonah 1:3a (NLT)]
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do. [Helen Keller]
Isaiah heard the Lord ask, “Whom shall I send as a messenger to this people?” and responded, “Here I am. Send me.” When God commissioned him to be His messenger/prophet, Isaiah was acting as a scribe and had a family. Nevertheless, without hesitation, his was an unqualified, “Send me!” Isaiah didn’t know exactly what God wanted him to do or how he was supposed to do it. Even after God told him that the people wouldn’t listen, Isaiah never wavered. Many of Scripture’s heroes, however, weren’t as eager to do God’s work.
When Jonah was told to go to the enemy nation of Nineveh and preach God’s judgment, he ran in the other direction. It was only after he’d spent time soaking in the gastric juices of a sea creature for three days and nights that he finally submitted to God. Like Jonah, Moses was given a task by God—bring the Israelites out of captivity into the Promised Land. The Lord was clear about the assignment but Moses was equally clear in his protests. Rather than run away, he listed all the reasons he wasn’t qualified. Although God resolved every one of his concerns, Moses was still reluctant. Even though he finally accepted God’s call, he complained about his task for the next forty years. Gideon also was given a task by God—rescue Israel from the Midianites. Like Moses, he protested that he was incapable and then dared to question (not once but three times) God’s promise to help him. Eventually, all three men obeyed God’s call, but not without questions, protest, and complaint.
When God calls us to do something out of our comfort zone, we’re caught between wanting to obey the Lord but not wanting to endure whatever challenge, difficulty, or hardship might be involved. Like Noah, are there are places we won’t go? Are there people we won’t touch, jobs we won’t do, or restrictions on the time we’ll give Him? Like Moses and Gideon, we’re likely to list our inadequacies—we’re not smart enough, strong enough, talented enough, good enough, young enough, or old enough—before adding that surely someone else could do it far better! Perhaps, we respond this way because we forget that we don’t have to do God’s work under our own power. Rather than calling the qualified, God qualifies those He calls!
When in the army, after the drill sergeant says, “I need three volunteers,” he simply points to three of his men and says, “You, you, and you!” Since it’s the army, obedience follows without argument or stipulations. Well, we’re in God’s army now and, as Commander-in-Chief, He’s not looking for excuses, limitations, exemptions, exceptions, or even questions when He calls us to action. Isaiah eagerly said, “Here I am, Send me!” When Jesus was in the garden that last night, after praying, “I want your will to be done, not mine,” He went to the cross without hesitation or complaint. How will we respond the next time God calls us? Hopefully, we’ll say, “Yes, your will be done, Lord; your will be done!”
Rest in this – it is His business to lead, command, impel, send, call or whatever you want to call it. It is your business to obey, follow, move, respond, or what have you. [Jim Elliot]
“It’s a masterpiece!” I would exclaim when admiring my grands’ latest creations before hanging them on the refrigerator. Truth be told, they only were masterpieces in my grandma eyes. To anyone else, they were just a child’s efforts with crayons, markers, and stickers. A real masterpiece is a work done with exceptional skill—a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement. Even then, the word “masterpiece” usually is limited to an artist’s best work. While my grands needed to hone their skills before creating a true artistic masterpiece, every one of us is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece and an example of God’s best work.
When someone has an unduly optimistic or positive view of things, they are often said to be wearing “rose-colored glasses.” According to Adam Anderson, a University of Toronto professor of psychology, our moods do affect the way we see things and, as moods change, so does our visual perception. “Good and bad moods literally change the way our visual cortex operates,” says the professor about a 2009 study he conducted. “In a positive mood,” he explained, “our visual cortex takes in more information, while negative moods result in tunnel vision.” He concluded that the better our mood, the better able our brains are to comprehend what it is our eyes are seeing. In short, we see better when we have a positive outlook of “rose-colored glasses”!
El Roi is one of the Hebrew names for God. We find it in Genesis 16 when Hagar encountered God in the desert and addressed Him as El Roi, meaning “the God who sees me.” After God told Hagar she was pregnant, He said to name her soon to be born son Ishmael. A combination of the Hebrew el and shama, the boy’s name means “God hears” or “God listens.” God both heard and saw Hagar because He’s omnipresent and omniscient; He can be everywhere and know everything at all times. There’s no place we can hide where we’re unknown, unseen, or unheard by Him.
While creativity is encouraged in both cooking and prayer, there are certain procedures for both that should be followed to ensure good results. For example, before a cook even begins, his work surface, utensils, and hands should be clean. In prayer, instead of starting with clean bowls and spoons, we should start with a forgiving heart and wash off any resentment or anger.
