“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 6:8
We are now two days past Pentecost and how have you been testifying about our Risen Savior who rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven? There are still people who need to hear that message; hopeless people. I am thinking that these three girls from the Lutheran school in Ouanaminthe may have a tougher crowd to testify about Jesus too than you or I do as their crowd believes the story of Jesus ended on Good Friday. Too often we hear a voice in the darkness tell us that somebody else can take that message of hope and we can just stay home and close the door and draw the curtains. But you and I know that Jesus is outside knocking on the door of our heart and telling us; “Hey, here I am…it’s your move.” Jesus doesn’t make us follow Him or testify about Him but sends the Holy Spirit to call us to do that and we answer that call in many different ways to further the spreading of the Holy Gospel. Seventy five cents will bring a hot lunch to these three missionaries in Haiti…it’s your move. I am closing today with the words from the hymn ‘Hark! the Voice of Jesus Crying’ that were written by Daniel March in 1868.
“Hark! the voice of Jesus crying, "Who will go and work today? Fields are white and harvests waiting, who will bear the sheave away?" Loud and long the Master calleth, rich reward He offers thee; who will answer, gladly saying, "Here am I, send me, send me!" If you cannot speak like angels, if you cannot preach like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus, you can say He died for all. If you cannot rouse the wicked with the Judgement's dread alarms, you can lead the little children to the Savior's waiting arms. If you cannot be a watchman, standing high on Zion's wall, pointing out the path to heaven, offering life and peace to all, with your prayers and with your bounties you can do what God demands; you can be like faithful Aaron, holding up the prophet's hands. Let none hear you idly saying, "There is nothing I can do," while the souls of men are dying and the Master calls for you. Take the task He gives you gladly, let His work your pleasure be; answer quickly when He calleth, "Here am I, send me, send me!"
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay