Here I Am: Responding When God Calls Your NameMuestra

Have you ever had to give up someone or something you really cared about? Or perhaps that dear thing was taken from you. For most of us traveling this journey called life, this deeply felt challenge has happened a time or two. There is a man in the Bible who knew all too well the cost of sacrifice, as well as the reward for clinging closely to God. His name is Abraham. Abram first appears in Genesis 11, where we read that he was living with his father, Terah. Joshua 24:2 tells us that Terah “served other gods” and was living in the land of debauchery known as Babylon. This means Abram, the great patriarch of Israel, came from a godless home in a wicked nation. Acts 7:2–4 recounts that at some point while Abram and Terah were in Ur (in Babylon), God spoke to Abram and told him to “go into the land that I will show you” (v. 3). This is the beginning of his faith journey; the moment he made a choice to be different. Abram decided to believe God and follow Him instead of the false gods worshiped in Ur. In the time between God’s initial call and his “here I am” moment, Abram had quite the journey and made lots of mistakes. He had responded in disobedience at times or taken matter into his own hands, however, all of this matured a man that could hear God’s voice. When Abraham’s “here I am’ moment came, he had been forged in the fire and was able to step out in faith and obedience when his name was called. Even if that meant sacrificing his son, Isaac. Abraham followed through immediately in every detail of the call, believing that God would eventually spare Isaac or even raise him from the dead. And God did spare Isaac as he was bound to the altar by Abraham. Yet, it was this act of obedience that left a legacy for both Abraham’s family and for the nation of Israel. What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? You have a unique opportunity to exemplify faith to those around you. It will be the faith, obedience, and courage you show in moments of tests and trials that speak to them and come to their mind when they do not know what to do.