When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
"Here I am" -- Over and over this is the way man responds to the Lord's call in the Bible. When God calls for Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, Abraham responds -- "Here I am." And, moments later, when His angel calls out to stop Abraham in mid-sacrifice, he responds -- "Here I am." When God calls Jacob, speaking to him through His angel and telling him to leave Laban's home, Jacob responds in a dream, "Here I am." When Samuel is called by the Lord, three times he responds -- "Here I am."
Why is it that when faced with the divine presence of the Living God, we feel obligated to let Him know where we are? He certainly knows where we are...in every sense. Or does this phrase poetically describe our relationship to Him? He is the "I am." And we are the "Here I am," suggesting He is in us and so we are the "I am" "Here" on this Earth?
Or, so great is our separation from God, do we simply feel a humble need in the presence of the Almighty to respond to his call by fearfully announcing that "Yes, we're right here, the little guy third from the right in the second row. Right here. Here I am."
It reminds me of a Frost poem that has long been a favorite of mine.
RevelationWe make ourselves a place apartBehind light words that tease and flout,But oh, the agitated heartTill someone find us really out.'Tis pity if the case require(Or so we say) that in the endWe speak the literal to inspireThe understanding of a friend.But so with all, from babes that playAt hide-and-seek to God afar,So all who hide too well awayMust speak and tell us where they are.
Bloggers Note: Today marks the 50th birthday of the love of my life and for precisely half of those years I have had the blessing to call her wife. Happy Birthday, Mariana!
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