Answering God’s Call with Hineni - Here I Am

There are several biblical figures who have answered God's call with "Here I am", such as Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Isaiah and Samuel. In Hebrew, the word for this phrase is Hineni.

There is deep significance in responding with Hineni, "Here I am." It tells God: I hear you. You have my full attention. I am setting aside all other distractions and personal priorities to respond to your call. It is saying to God, "I am at your service".

Hineni is a willingness to do whatever God asks of us and go wherever He leads us. An answer of "Hineni" is one that demonstrates unconditional readiness and is established in faith.

Some caution that one should be careful to choose to respond to God with Hineni, Here I am. They caution because they feel that one should be 100% ready and willing to do whatever God is going to request. They caution because Hineni is saying "yes" to an unknown assignment...not knowing what will be required of us.

However, God will not ask anything of us for which he hasn't already prepared us or equipped us. He will not send us out to fail. Therefore there's no reason to shrink back from answering with Hineni.

God will guide us on a straight path. He tells us in Psalms 32:8, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." And Solomon shares this wisdom of truth in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

God will illuminate the path to fulfilling His calling through His Word just as David shares in Psalms 119:105, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."

God will not send us out alone. He is with us and will help us. The Holy Spirit will lead us, guide us and equip us with the necessary skills, knowledge, understanding and words. His word teaches us in James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Jesus assures us of the guidance of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 10:19-20, "do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."

God will show us the way to go. We only need to lean 100% on God through prayer, reading His Word and relying on guidance of the Holy Spirit.

There should be no fear or trepidation in answering God with "Here I am." God's Word tells us over and over in His Word to “not fear”. Apostle Paul teaches us in 2 Timothy 1:7, "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."

Trust God's purposes for you. Trust His calling is one that is only for your good and for the good of those around you. He has our best interests at heart. He only desires our success which is why He gave up His one and only Son. He has only good plans for us just as He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The essence Hineni is actually very simple. It is being open to RECEIVE from God and turning around to freely GIVE what we have received to bless others, to glorify God, and to fulfill our calling. In Matthew 10:8, Jesus sent out his twelve disciples on a mission for which He had equipped them to be able to accomplish. He told them, "Freely you have received; freely give."

In order to freely receive, we need to make room for God and to be an open vessel. We need to be open to what God has for us and to seek it. We need to be grounded in His word and open to the Spirit with an open heart and open mind.

God’s assignments are unstoppable. If you don't respond to the calling, God will find someone who will respond as we see in the life of Esther when her cousin Mordecai warned her in Esther 4:14,
"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

God's assignment for each one of us is flawless and 100% achievable. He guarantees our success in His assignment. He tells us in Isaiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Hineni should not be an intimidating or scary response to give God.

So let us be attentive to hear God's call. Let us have an unconditional willingness to respond to that call. Let us have unwavering faith that God has fully prepared us and equipped us for such a time as this. Let us remember that there is nothing to fear with God leading us in His flawless, unstoppable assignment.

God is gathering His people to prepare the way for the return of Messiah. He is sending out His call. Let us respond with bold faith: "Here I am. Send me."
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