Available

“Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” (Isa. 6:8) This is how simple it is my friends, the Lord God is looking for people to send to do His work, to accomplish the desires that He has for the children of men, all we have to do is answer that call.

What He asks of us is rather straightforward and uncomplicated, a servant who is willing to give everything, all the time, a mind that is determined to stay the course, a spirit of humility in service, a desire to please no other than Him. The question is simple, are you at His disposal, are you accessible to Him at any moment, at any time day or night, are you willing to place Christ first in your life, to sacrifice all for Him whenever He calls, to drop everything, rearrange every plan, are you prepared to remove from yourself every desire of self for Him.

It’s a big step, isn’t it, to lay aside every plan for your future, to set aside everyone you know and love, to determine to serve without question, no matter the circumstances, no matter the possible consequences. God is looking for men like this, men in who in their heart know the trust that is necessary to accept such a risk, men ready to die if necessary for the cause of Christ, men ready and willing at any moment, without hesitation, to say “Here am I, send Me.” When we come down to the main element, the root cause within every born-again believers’ life that compels us in our walk with Christ, there are only two chief components that direct our thoughts, trust and doubt, all others fall under these two categories.

Do not think that those who have committed their lives to the service of the Lord never doubt, it is there, but it is quenched, never truly extinguished, but always just below the surface. It is within this person though to trust more than he doubts, the response to His calling is always, “Here I am,” the reply is always one of availability, but under the surface, because we are human, because we are dust, the inner man is just as afraid as a small child when his father has left his side for a moment. The security of knowing that our Lord is still around, still besides us and always will be, is never overrun by the doubts that He will protect us in this calling, but nevertheless, the fear, the doubt remains, and we hate it within ourselves. He is faithful who has promised, He knows the future, we do not, but He can be trusted.

The Lord our God never calls a man to fulfil a purpose for Him that He knows he cannot achieve, that is the key to the trust that we must realize, we have been enabled to complete the tasks that He has set before us, all we must do is trust. We begin this walk of complete trust, as much as is in our sinful flesh, by becoming available, by letting the Lord know that we are willing to serve. This is the first step, and it must be taken with much consideration of the possible consequences. What He may ask you to do for Him may be the furthest thing from your mind when you give consideration to making yourself available to the Lord. It takes all of a man’s soul to say to the Lord, “Here am I,” to say “Use me, I am available in whatever way that thou wouldest desire.”

It is the most frightening thing that I have ever done in my entire life, and it vexes me each day to think that I waited so long to do it. “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” (Jer. 17:7) I have known physical pain in my life, I have known grief and sorrow, but I had never known the complete assurance, the calm and security that comes from trusting in the Lord God until I said “Here I am, use me.” The doubts are still there, of course, I am human, there are still fears, but all has begun to pale in comparison to the reassurance that Christ is Lord, that He loves me, and that I am safe in His hands. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Rom. 8:18)

I have never been in my lifetime what I am now, I had no inclination to perform the tasks that are set before me today, and I never believed that I was useful to Christ, for I doubted, I did not trust. When I made myself available to Him, He showed me what He wanted me to do, and I have continued on that path until this very day. He has made into a writer of letters, to glorify His Holy Name, to encourage the brethren, and to show through the truths of His words conviction that can only come from the Scriptures. When we ask the Lord to use us, when we make ourselves available to Him, He will show us what it is that He would have us to do, that is how simple it is. You did not think that He would make it difficult to discern, did you, the Holy Spirit will inform you, you will be blessed with the ability to hear that prompting, and to act upon it. And you will be amazed my friends, you will truly be amazed.

Fear? Oh yes, it’s still there, in the very early morning hours I doubt, I doubt my abilities, I see myself as a wretched man, unworthy of the calling of the Lord God Almighty, but His mercies are new every morning, (Lam. 3:23) and  I set my face like a flint to serve in humble obedience. All He asks, all He has ever asked, is that we be available, He will instill the trust, He will remove the doubts, He will lead, we must simply follow. We do not need to understand the way, we do not need to make plans for the service that He will enable us to do, we need only to listen, and obey. “Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?” (Prov. 20:24) There is that first step though, isn’t there.

Without an eternal view, without the knowledge that He is worthy who has called you, that His Name is above every other name, without the complete assurance that you will be serving the sovereign Lord God Almighty, these words of “Here I am, send me” will never cross your lips. Your heart must be prepared, your mind must encompass no other thoughts than the glory of God, all ideas of self must be laid aside, then you will be ready for the Master’s hands. You will become a profitable servant, for He will bless you with the abilities to become so. There will be pain, there will be sorrow and doubts, your friends and family may never understand, but you will have Christ, you will become a profitable servant, useful in the hands of the Lord, and you will hear on that final day, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Count the cost, for they are high, this world will hate you, as well it should, for they hated Him first. (John 15:18) But know this, the One who has sent you will enable you, you will need for nothing in the work that He will set before you, and His goal will be accomplished, there is no such thing as failure with the Lord. Can you now say then, my brothers and sisters, can you say, “Here I am, send me.”

The Lord is calling out a people in these days filled with sin and tension, He is calling for those who are willing to serve, no matter the cost, and His reward is beyond all comprehension. Are you available to serve?