If I were to ask you to give me an answer you most likely would ask, “What is the question?” Have you ever considered the answers you have to questions before they’re even asked of you? For example, if someone were to ask me if I like ice cream, I wouldn’t hesitate to respond with a firm, “Yes.”
There are some questions, however, that even though I know the answer before the question is asked,
I might not provide an answer or at least think twice before answering. For example, if asked the question, “Do you keep your money in a bank?” I would first consider who is asking the question and why they might be asking it.
What if the question is asked by a close relative or friend? What if they ask for help or to borrow something? Would you contemplate the answer the same way you would if the question were asked by a stranger?
How do you respond when the Lord asks something of you?
In Isaiah 6:8 the author writes: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah recognized the Lord’s voice because he knew Him; he walked in close relationship with God. In order for us to recognize who is speaking to us, we must first be in relationship with them. Do you recognize when the Lord is speaking to you?
Isaiah’s heart was so completely yielded to the Lord that he responded with a “Yes” answer before he knew what that would fully entail. One who walks by faith will answer “Yes” to God’s call before obtaining all the specifics. Is your heart consistently yielded to whatever the Lord may ask of you?
Isaiah’s “Yes” answer to the Lord was resolved far before he was asked the question. His immediate response of “Here I am. Send me,” reveals that Isaiah had already counted the cost (the inconvenience, the time, the effort, the price, etc.) of following God and placed himself in a position of availability and readiness. Is your life in a position or state of readiness; on-call to answer “Yes” to the Lord’s requests?
Perhaps the ease at which Isaiah answered “Yes” to God was a result of the confidence he had in the Lord. By asking God to send him, Isaiah recognized God’s authority and the significance of His call as well as his trust in the Lord’s faithful presence and enablement. When God sends you, you can have complete confidence that He will complete the work He is requesting you to do.
What might happen if we fail to place ourselves in a yielded position, anticipating and ready for God’s questions in our life? What could happen to God’s kingdom work here on earth if we’re unprepared to respond to what He may ask of us? What changes would need to be made in order for you to consistently say “Yes” to the Lord?