Roll Call
Today’s Verse:
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. ~Genesis 22:1
I remember very vividly in grade school the class roll call. The teacher would stand up at the beginning of class, after recess, and after lunch, and call out the names of the students. We were expected to respond with, “Here,” to indicate that we were present. If there was no answer, we were marked off as being absent. In the military, roll call is an essential part of making sure that everyone gives an account of being present. Failure in being present has severe consequences. Three simple words indicate that we are present: “Here I am” or “Here am I.” We find these three words used in 20 unique situations in the Bible. Let us see, this morning, the lessons behind God’s roll call.
We see a call of affection.
In Genesis 22:1, God calls out Abraham by name. We see God calling out to Jacob, Moses, and Samuel in a similar way. When God calls us out by name, it is a call of affection. Abraham was at the peak of his spiritual life. His walk with God was one filled with spiritual intimacy. God manifested Himself to Abraham as the Most High God, as his shield and exceeding great reward, as Almighty God, and as the Everlasting God. However, it is important to note that God knew Abraham in an intimate way as well. Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice.” When God calls you by name, never forget that He calls out to us in love.
We see the call of availability.
“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me” (Isaiah 6:8). God calls out to us to see if we are available to represent Him. We live in a day of dangerously declining involvement by God’s people. We are available as long as it is convenient and it does not interfere with our plans. When Isaiah saw the holiness of God and how the angelic beings serve and worship God, his life was changed. He wanted to be clean in his life. He also wanted to be 100% available in his life. God is always calling us by name to see if we are available. The question is: are we listening and available?
We see the call to action.
In the majority of the cases where a name is called out, it is for action. God called out to Abraham to test his obedience and submission. “Will you do what I want you to do?” “Will you represent me where I want you to represent me?” God called Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him to the Lord. God called out to Moses to be His spokesman in Egypt. God called out to Samuel to serve Him in the house of God. When God’s Word is preached and when we meditate in the Word, we always find God calling us to action. God calls us to action with a group of people. God calls us to action with a specific service. When God calls, we must quickly obey.
We see the call to accountability.
Our name will be called out in Heaven to give account for the deeds done in our body, good and bad. In Abraham’s case, God called out to him at different checkpoints. God sets us up for success and never for failure. As we walk the pilgrim path, we must be cognizant and ready for God’s calling at key checkpoints in our life. When our life is finished on earth, we will give an account for everything we did and did not do. When your name is called, will you be ready to say, “Here am I”?
Have an accountable God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Psalm 21-25