May 24 Bible Reading Plan

Here I am, Lord, send me.

-Isaiah 6:8

This quote comes from Isaiah 6:8, when Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying,

"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"

Isaiah replied, "Here I am! Send me." (ESV)

Often, when we hear a sermon about this Scripture or read a devotional using this verse, many men start to panic and think, "What will I do if God calls me to leave everything and go and be a missionary in Africa?"

"What if the Holy Spirit asks me to quit the job that I love and become a pastor?"

"What if this is the moment God calls me into full-time ministry?"

For some reading this book, that may be possible because God calls men of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds to leave everything behind, just like the disciples left their fishing nets and followed Him.

If God is calling you into full-time ministry, then, yes, it is your responsibility, honor, and privilege to respond like Isaiah and say, "Here I am, Lord, send me." What an adventure you will begin!

However, in this devotional, I'd like to take a moment and ask the question, "What if that isn't what this phrase means for you?"

What if God isn't calling you to leave everything, start all over, go to Bible college, and then into full-time ministry?

What if God is asking you:

Who can I send to teach the young boys in Royal Rangers?

Who can I send to help in the nursery?

Who can I ask to give up their leisurely Saturday and rake leaves or do carpentry at the church?

What will your answer be?

Have you ever watched the TV scene where everyone is standing in a line, and someone asks for a volunteer?

Suddenly, everyone in the line stepped backward, leaving the one poor guy in the front who didn't move, saying, "Oh man, I guess I'm stuck with the job."

What if God is calling you to be the unbreakable man everyone can count on, someone who doesn't get stuck with the job but volunteers for it?

What if God wants you to volunteer for the job no one sees and very few want—the dirty job that will probably go on to be unrecognized?

When the need arises, will you answer, "Here I am, Lord, send me?"

What if God is calling you to give to a missionary or an organization that stops sex trafficking? When the call goes out, and God says, "I need people to support my kingdom financially," what do you say?

What if God asks you to lead a discipleship group for young men?

What if God calls you and your wife to be foster parents?

Are you open to the possibilities?

I know a man and his wife who are retired military. While neither feel called to full-time ministry, almost everyone in their church relies on them for some form of help. They even help Mantour Ministries by repairing our van for free and lifting things I can't with my disability. Yet, they most modeled Isaiah's answer when a young man in their youth group needed a home and structure, so they invited them to stay with them. They gave him a family and structure, provided for his needs, and taught him how to live. They are making a phenomenal difference in his life because when the need was presented, they said, "Here I am, send me!"

I truly believe this: the church of God did not survive for over two thousand years because of the work of people on the stage or behind a pulpit. While these roles are essential and honored, the church of Jesus Christ has survived and thrived because of everyday men and women who had an unbreakable commitment to answer, "Here I am, Lord, send me" when they are asked to do the jobs that nobody else wanted to do.

Will you be one of these unbreakable men?