As we turn the page to a new year, what will we do differently? Will we just continue to exist or will we live? Today, we talk about three words that will revolutionize our lives and make it an extraordinary one, by looking at the lives of six people in the Bible who had one thing in common – at one point in their lives, they were called by God and they all responded with “here I am”.

What does “here I am” really mean? It means “I am ready, Lord. Whatever it is that you want me to do, I will do”. It also means “I am focused on you, Lord. You have my undivided attention. Will you show me the way forward? Will you show me how I can live a life pleasing to you?” It also means “There is no other place I would rather be. In the center of your will, Lord, is the best place I can be in my life”. Finally, “here I am” is an offer of our total availability regardless of cost or consequences. The question is – are we ready to say here I am to God?

Learning from the lives of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Isaiah, Samuel and Ananias, we find out six reasons why we should say here I am to the Lord:

1. Because God can do the impossible. When God called out to Abraham in Genesis 22, he responded with “here I am” even if he had no clue what God was going to ask of him. The reason Abraham could respond this way is because of his fear of God, his reverence for Him, his overwhelming sense of awe for who God is. So when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac, he did not refuse and did as he was told. Abraham had such deep faith in God that he believed that even if he killed Isaac, God can raise him from the dead. From Abraham’s life, we realize that God can require us to do the unthinkable because God can do the impossible.
2. Because God keeps His promises. Similarly, Jacob responded to God’s call with “here I am” in Genesis 46 when he was told to go down to Egypt. From Jacob’s response, we learn that saying here I am to God means stepping out of our comfort zone. In fact, it is possible that even if we are already obeying God, there is still fear and apprehension. And God knows this, that is why He told Jacob to not be afraid and made a lot of promises and assurances to Jacob. The result is Jacob and all his descendants, together with all their possessions, went down to Egypt. When we say here I am to God, we leave nothing behind. And we need not be afraid because God keeps all His promises.
3. Because God has a great plan for your life. In Exodus 3, Moses encountered a burning bush where he responded with here I am to God. What is so peculiar about this is God so simplified Moses’ life that even something like a burning bush could not escape his attention. This burning bush paved the way for Moses to realized God’s wonderful plan for him, which simply was beyond his imagination. Just like the burning bush, the challenges that we encounter in life are meant to portray the miracle of God in our lives. Despite disappointments in life, we can still say here I am because we know that He has a great plan for us.
4. Because God has forgiven you. In Isaiah 6, in the light of God’s holiness, Isaiah saw his own sinfulness which God immediately cleansed through a burning coal. Having experienced purification, Isaiah understood the grace of God and responded to His call. Like Isaiah, do we understand the forgiveness and the grace of God? Does the fact that we have been forgiven fuel of our faithfulness to God? When God exposes our sins to us, we realize how precious His forgiveness is.
5. Because God is the Lord. Samuel responded to God in Samuel 3 with “Speak Lord for your servant is listening”. Samuel recognized God as the Lord, the boss. The question to us is – if He is indeed the Lord, will you love your wife? Respect your husband? Disciple your children? Obey your parents? Forgive people who have offended you? Will you initiate restoration of strained relationships? Be sexually pure until marriage? Pay the right taxes? Be loving, patient, humble and kind? Share the gospel? Start discipling? Remember, He is the Lord and we are His servants.
6. Because God wants you to help others know Him. Ananias was called by God to restore the sight of Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9. Imagine if Ananias did not respond to God’s call, Paul would not have been able to do all the work that God has destined for him to do. We will never know what God’s plan is for anyone we meet, therefore we should never hesitate to share what we know about Jesus.

Aside from these six faithful servants of God, Jesus also said “here I am” to God by offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, for your sake and mine. He said in Hebrews 10:7 “Behold, I have come to do your will, oh God”. Will you respond the same way?