Isaiah 6:8
After this, I heard the LORD ask, "Is there anyone I can send? Will someone go for us?" "I'll go," I answered. "Send me!"
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Probably all of us are familiar with the children’s story of The Little Red Hen. She asked all of her “friends” to help with the process of growing grain, getting it to the mill and turning it into flour for bread, and nobody was available… until it was time to eat! And if we are perfectly honest, we’ve been right there in the middle of that scene more than once. We want to “eat,” but we don’t want to do any of the work. This is why we often see a handful of people doing the majority of the work in a church or community. We are all willing to enjoy the fruit of salvation… the blessings of Jesus… but we don’t really want to be bothered with doing any work for Him.
If you remember the story from your childhood, those who didn’t work and help the Little Red Hen didn’t eat in the end! While I’m not saying that you won’t be granted salvation, grace and mercy if you don’t serve God on this earth, I do believe that we “reap what we sow” a lot of the time. And don’t think you can leave this to chance or “luck.” When my husband and I were starting a new business many years ago, someone commented to a mutual friend that “they are so lucky.” The friend quickly pointed out that “luck” had very little to do with our success…that we had worked many long, hard hours and devoted time and attention to our business, and this had resulted in blessings and rewards.
I will be the first to tell you that there are lots of times I wish God would send somebody else. There are days when I would rather sleep in or lie around and drink coffee than get up and get to church. There were times when I thought I couldn’t sit through another hour of Sunday School with junior high students who, for the most part, didn’t want to be there… but their parents made them attend. There have been days when I wished somebody else would take my grandmother to run her errands… or the baby would sleep another hour and I could have some “me” time. I sometimes wish someone else would do the household chores and take care of my family so that I could do as I please.
Sometimes I think, “I just don’t want to send a sympathy or get-well card,” or “I’d rather do something else right now besides write this devo,” or “There will be plenty of food for that grieving family… and I really don’t want to go over there and be sad.” But you know what? Every time I put aside my self and do what I feel God asking me to do, I come away blessed and better. I know that I have honored my commitment. God has asked, “Who can I send?” and I have answered… “Send me.”
I don’t know what God is calling you to do. I don’t know where He is sending you these days. Maybe He is simply saying, “Get up and get going… go to school, get a job, take care of your education/family/friends/business.” Or maybe He is saying, “Reorganize your schedule and your priorities and make some time to do a little mission work.” Maybe He is asking you to step out in faith – out of your comfort zone and your easy chair – and give back a little, while “paying it forward” in His name.
Whatever God is asking you to do… be ready and available. Stay so closely attuned that you know that you know that you know when you hear from Him. And when He asks who is available, be the first one to step up and say, “I’ll go… send me!”
©2010 Debbie Robus
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