Here I Am

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. –Genesis 22:1 NIV

At my college graduation, my name was called to walk across the stage to receive my diploma—all the nights spent studying and passing exams paid off. Some nights the end might have seemed impossible, but I got there in the end. In Genesis 22, we get a picture of a man whom God called to do the impossible. When God called Abraham’s name, he answered, “Here I am.” He accepted his calling with readiness and trusted in God even while knowing that he was being asked to offer his beloved son as a sacrifice. As Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, God called his name again, and he responded, “Here I am.” Abraham feared the Lord, and because of this, God provided an alternative sacrifice, saving Isaac’s life. How do we respond to God with trust when he calls us? Jesus showed us the way. He was obedient to God. Jesus loved, served, and died so we would be brought into right relationship with God. He was tested, rejected, and beaten for our sake. He gifted us with the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that raised Him from the dead, to allow us to hear and respond to God’s call.