Here I Am

Genesis 22:1. Some time later, God tested Abraham. He said to him, Abraham, and Abraham replied, here I am. The whole chapter turns on that reply. It is the response of a servant who is ready before he knows the task. Abraham says it to God at the start, says it to Isaac halfway up the mountain when the boy asks about the lamb, and says it a third time when the angel calls from heaven to stop his hand.

Here I am is not the same as I understand or I agree. Abraham did not understand. But he was present, available, answering to his name. That posture is the beginning of every act of faith in his story, and in ours.

It is Wednesday. You may not know what God is asking of you this week, and you may not like it when you find out. You can still begin where Abraham began. Say it as a prayer this morning, before the day fills up. Here I am. Then listen for what comes next.