Here Am I

By Terance Clark January 18, 2025 5 Minute Read
Week 13
This Weeks Passage: Exodus 1:1 – 6:1
This week we begin one of the most beloved books in the bible, the book of Exodus. It’s the story of Moses and how the people of God are saved from the Egyptians through ten plagues that God sends upon them to display His power over all of their Gods. There are many amazing lessons for life that we’ll learn from this book, but the story begins with maybe the most important lesson of them all. Stay with me.
Our Response Should Be, Here Am I
Moses had run away from Egypt and spent about forty years in the wilderness shepherding his father-in-laws sheep. One day he sees a bush on fire, but it’s not burning up. As he is standing in front of the bush he hears God call his name and he replies, here am I. The word in Hebrew is Hinneni (pronounced he nay née), and it means I am ready to listen, I am ready to respond and I am ready to obey. It’s the opposite of “wait a minute.” Jews taught that when God calls you there should only be one response, Hinneni. Over and over again in scripture we see great men and women of faith responding to God. When God called Abraham in Genesis 22, he replied, Hinneni. When God called Jacob in Genesis 31, he replied Hinneni. In Isaiah 6, when God called the young prophet he said, Hinneni. When the angel appeared to Mary in Luke 1, she said, Hinneni and when Ananias was told to go and find Saul who had been persecuting believers in Acts 9, he said Hinneni.
The lesson in scripture is that God will call us. We are told many are called but few chosen, the question is how will you answer, for that is the difference between the called and the chosen. Wait a minute means my plans are more important than yours, and therefore you need to wait until I am ready. When we say Here Am I, we are saying I am ready right now to do whatever it is you are asking. Even if I don’t understand or like what you are asking of me. Moses would have never been able to fulfill his purpose if he did not give the Lord his full obedience, but because he did we are still talking about his life thousands of years later.
“In that day God will answer our call for help“
Here’s an interesting twist to the story. In Isaiah 58, we are told of some very challenging times that will come upon the world. Times that reflect even what we are seeing happening in our world today. The scriptures teach that those who have said “Here Am I” will be willing to obey the Lords requests even in the most difficult of circumstances, but then something interesting will happen. In the midst of these difficult times these people will need to cry out to God for help and then He will answer, Hinneni. In that day God will answer our cry for help with His obedience to immediately step in on our behalf.
Lets Choose to Stop Running
Oftentimes when I talk to people they feel the need to confess all kinds of things to me, sometimes its their need to go to church, or to stop smoking, but that is not what’s important. What is important is that we choose to stop running away from God and rather run to Him. Just choose to be in relationship with Him. He knows all the things we struggle with in our day to day lives. He just wants you and I to say Here I am and let Him start from there.