When He Calls - How Do You Answer?

                  “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
                  He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid” (Genesis 3:8-10).
            After Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God asked them where they were. They hid and told God they were afraid. Today, I would like to look at four Bible characters who didn’t hide when God called their name.
ABRAHAM
            After these things God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." Right after Abraham said, “Here I am,” God said to him, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Mori'ah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you" (Genesis 22:1).
            We know Abraham was obedient and put his son on the altar of sacrifice. We hear Abraham responding again to God’s call in Genesis 22:11-12 – But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
SAMUEL
            In 1 Samuel 3, God called to Samuel three times. Each time, Samuel said, “Here I am.” Finally, Eli, priest at the tabernacle in Shiloh, and the second-to-last judge of Israel, told Samuel that when God called again, he should tell God to speak and that he was listening. Samuel did so and God said, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle” (1 Samuel 3:11).
             Samuel was called by God at a very young age, and was faithful to that call throughout his life.
ISAIAH
            Isaiah had a vision of the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne. He heard the voice of the Lord asking a question.“…Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me” (Isaiah 6:8 NLT).
            Isaiah took the call of God personally and said he would go. This was the beginning of God’s commission to him. Isaiah’s name, which means “YHWH (the Lord) is salvation”, is widely regarded as one of the greatest prophets of the Bible.
ANANIAS
            “Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord” (Acts 9:10 NRSV).
            In the New Testament, this is the only occurrence of someone responding to God with “Here I am.” From the account, we know Ananias wasn’t thrilled about going to see Paul, a persecutor of the Body of Christ. But Ananias was obedient because God told him Paul was a chosen instrument to proclaim God’s Name to the Gentiles, their kings, and the people of Israel.
            Today, when God calls our name, how will we answer? Will we run and hide like Adam and Eve or answer, “Here I am” like Abraham, Samuel, Isaiah, and Ananias? God has a purpose and a plan for each day of our lives. And we have a choice. Dear Lord Jesus, today, and every day, in the power of Your precious Holy Spirit, may I respond with, “Here I am, send me.”